Written in the Stars
by swaggyzebraTW
Summary: Katniss discovers that there is no such thing as truly winning the Hunger Games. Even though she made it out alive, the torchure is not over. When President Snow delivers some terrible news to her, and threatens her family, only one person can truly understand what she is going through, and that's Finnick Odair. M prostitution references, and possibly the future. Finnick/Katniss.
1. Bearer of Bad News

**AN: Here is my take on the ever-so common prostitution prompt with Katniss and Finnick in the Hunger Games. I will continue this if people display an interest for it. Please enjoy ;).**

I winced as the ever-so ironic object lodged itself in my side, eliciting a pain like none other. Glancing down at myself, I noticed that I had begun to bleed, and the arrow was sticking out of my skin— the cloth of my tank top torn apart from the impact.

I heard rustles in the leaves, and shouts from around me, but I couldn't bring myself to look up. The crimson that was leaking down my torso was so stunning and gruesome that I couldn't pry my eyes away from it. Everything seemed so surreal, and it felt odd to be the one dying. I had always been the one killing, having suffered and competed through two hunger games in the short span of my life.

Eventually, whether it was minutes, seconds, or even hours later, the sounds around me subsided, and I found myself crumpling down to my knees and pulling the arrow out of my side. It was painless, and I felt as though I was dreaming.

A tan hand placed itself over one of my pale ones, keeping pressure on the wound that had been bestowed upon me. "Katniss," the voice that the hand belonged to said. "You're hurt."

I nodded, looking into the sea green eyes of Finnick Odair. _The _Finnick Odair. "What's happening?" I slurred, my breaths becoming more ragged with every passing second.

"You were leaving President Snow's mansion, when you got attacked by some psychotic, deranged, professional bowmen." He said, his arms wrapping themselves around my torso as he lifted me effortlessly into his arms.

"Am I dreaming?" I asked, honestly not sure. It felt like a dream, everything was happening so fast.

It had been just minutes ago that I had been in President Snow's office area, smelling the harsh dirtied scent of roses and the masked tint of blood. It had been then that he told me what I was to do now that I had won the Hunger Games— he wished me to be a prostitute; sold out to the highest bidder to help earn funding for the next games. Of course, Snow had given me the option to not comply, which he said would result in the immediate death of my family, along with myself. Being only a sixteen year old girl, who was still a virgin at this point, I had rejected Snow, claiming that I would save my family, and not play along with his games. Now, I was in the arms of Finnick Odair, questioning if any of this was actually real, or just a disastrous nightmare. I suspected the latter, as none of it seemed to be making any sense right now.

"This isn't a dream, Katniss, and I have to get you to a hospital or something. Quickly." Finnick said, rushing down the woodsy trails in search of help.

"Is it true?" I asked, looking him in the eyes with all the strength I had left.

He glanced down momentarily, never breaking stride. He appeared to be confused. "Is what true, Katniss? Yes, you got shot. Yes, I am here trying to save you. No, I am not as much of an asshole as the Capitol makes me seem…."

"No, that's not what I meant." I said, shaking my head. "I meant what President Snow just told me."

Finnick stopped, his face going blank as if a few connections had just been made inside his head, and he was afraid of him. "What did he tell you?" He whispered weakly, slowly beginning to walk again.

"T-that… T-that I'm going to have to be—" I couldn't say the word. It felt to foreign and dirty on my tongue.

"A prostitute?" Finnick offered, his voice taking on a tone of humor, but not humor. It was bitter, as though he hated what was happening, and the humor eased the pain a little.

I nodded, my eyesight beginning to blur along the edges. Finnick's fists tightened along my sides; his fingers curling into my skin before he realized that he was hurting me. "I can't believe he would do that to you, too!" He fumed.

Things began to register in my mind. Had Snow made Finnick a prostitute as well? Gale and I had always made fun of him whenever he showed up on the district screens, as we had always seen him as a slut, or a man-whore. Finnick had always been a favorite of the Capitols's people, and it was rumored that he had slept with almost everyone. Hearing that people might soon think the same of me made me wonder if he was in fact a prostitute by force, and none of this was his fault. Maybe the persona was all the Capitol's doing…

Finnick spoke as though he read my mind. "He threatened my family back in four. All the ones I love. Snow said that if I didn't sleep around, he would kill them all, one by one, and make me watch. I was only fourteen when he told me that, and at the time I couldn't fathom the thought of any of my family dying."

"That's terrible." I whispered, disbelieving. How could any of this be happening? Hadn't I been through enough?

He nodded, taking me into a clearing of sorts. "I've been selling myself ever since."

A spike of pain surged through my spine, and my vision disappeared entirely. My back arched out of his hands, and a long cry of agony fell from my lips. No matter how many times I blinked, my eyesight refused to return, and I whimpered at the loss of the sense.

"Katniss?" Finnick asked worriedly. "Katniss, are you okay?"

I couldn't form any words on my lips, as another shockwave of pain rant through me.

A heard a gasp. "God, Katniss! That was a special arrow straight from the Capitol! I have to get you help immediately!"

"What kind of arrow?" I managed to ask, the white hot pain invading all of my senses as it became all I could feel.

"It's infused with Tracker Jacker venom. When it hits you, it will dump the poison into your veins; infesting your blood until you go mental and insane. You will only have a few more minutes before its effects become irreversible." He explained. "Can you see anything, Katniss?"

I shook my head. My mind felt as though it were inflating itself within my skull, threatening to burst at any minute. A slight feeling of drowsiness was also beginning to overcome me, and the sounds coming into my ears began to subside.

All was quiet except for Finnick's speech. "Katniss, stay with me. Don't fall asleep, please."

His words never truly registered in my mind, and it was as though they simply came in one ear and went out the other. My breaths came easier, and began to even out, as though sleep was approaching. Part of me wanted it to come. Surely, it would promise an escape out of this world…

It was then that my world went black, and the arms of sleep took me into their hands— dragging me to the dreamland that they seemed to conquer up.

~Line Break~

"What the hell happened, pretty boy?" A drunken voice slurred angrily, stirring me from my rest.

"I found her in the woods with a Tracker-Jacker arrow in her side. I carried her here after she passed out, and people tended to her. Snow…"

The angry voice gave the softer one no more time to talk as he resumed his rant. "Don't even mention the bloody idiot of President, Snow. Right now, I don't care about him. I care about that girl in the bed beside us, who has been out cold for two days, and has an arrow hole in her side, and a boy who claimed to 'save' her, who was also, coincidentally, the only witness to the whole event."

"Haymitch, you know I would never hurt someone, let alone…"

"A fellow victor." The drunken angry man filled in, and I discovered he was my mentor, Haymitch.

"Why would I ever want to hurt her? I am one of the only ones who knows what she is about to go through!" The sweeter voice said, and I began to recognize that the voice belonged to none other than the man who had carried me earlier, Finnick Odair.

A loud noise was made from Haymitch, as though he was about to speak but then decided against it. The room was engulfed by a temporary silence, which quickly became awkward and unwanted.

"Snow…" Haymitch began, his voice now in nothing more than a saddened whisper. "He asked her?"

I felt as though Finnick probably nodded. "Yes. She told me about her visit, and she was just leaving his mansion when she was attacked."

"Did she reject him?" Haymitch asked angrily, his voice still decibels lower than moments before.

There was silence, but I assumed Haymitch had been answered, and he didn't like the result. A large noise echoed through the room as glass shattered against a wall, and a fist or two pounded against something wooden. Probably some furniture.

"Why the hell do all these things happen to her?" Haymitch asked angrily. "Her sister got reaped. She volunteered for the Hunger Games. She had to watch a few of her allies die, and pretend to be in love with a boy that she didn't love just to save her ass and please the idiotic people of the Capitol. And now, she has to be a bloody _prostitute._ What did she ever choose to deserve this?"

"She doesn't deserve this, and I neither did any of the other victors that were put through this, including myself. Haymitch, she's going to have to, though…" Finnick stated, trailing off in the end.

There was a brief silence, before a shrill ringing broke through the air. The phone rang several more times before someone picked it up roughly, and a small chirping noise was made on the other end.

"Yes, President Snow. Are you sure you want to do this, she's only a girl…" Haymitch spoke into the receiver.

I opened my eyes at that point, spotting Finnick sitting beside me on the bed, and Haymitch in the other corner of the room, talking into a fancy Capitol phone. Finnick was staring blankly at Haymitch, and didn't seem to notice my state of waking.

"Finnick," I croaked, finding that my throat was tightened and dry.

His tanned face quickly turned to me, a look of surprise, relief, and urgency crossing onto his almost boyish features. "Katniss, you're awake. Do you need anything?"

Haymitch looked over to us, giving me a weary smile in attempted reassurance, before he continued talking to whom I could only presume was the president. "I'll do that. Yes. Bye."

"Water?" I managed to say as my mentor slammed the phone into its holder.

Finnick nodded, moving gracefully to a bedside table where he pulled off a glass of water, and handed it to me. "There."

My hands shook around the glass, spilling a little of the liquid onto the sheets, but I managed to bring the object to my lips without assistance. "What were you guys talking about?" I asked them after I finished, handing the glass back to Finnick.

Haymitch's voice had become monotone and stiff. "How much did you hear?"

I thought about what I had heard them say, and began to realize that they had been talking about me and my recent encounter with the President and some of his bowmen. Apparently, assuming that I was in fact awake when all of this had happened, my life was about to become terrible, and I was to become a prostitute for the Capitol— selling out my intimacy to the highest of bidders.

"What did the President want you to do?" I asked Haymitch, not bothering to answer his question as I figured maybe it would be best if he thought I hadn't heard him.

His eyes turned away from mine, avoiding eye contact for once, which was a new for the drunkard. "Nothing." He mumbled, looking to Finnick instead.

"Can I speak with you privately, Katniss?" Haymitch continued, looking sternly at the boy from four.

Finnick rose, exiting the room with nothing more than a sympathetic look over his shoulder. I was receiving a lot of them lately.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked innocently, hoping all of this wasn't happening.

He sighed audibly and began to pace along the wall of windows. "I think you know what we need to talk about, Sweetheart."

I nodded. "So, this is all happening?"

Haymitch nodded sadly. "Snow wanted me to help you through with all of this, and to be honest, there isn't much that I can help you with. As much as it pains for me to say it, you're going to want Finnick to help you out with this one."

"Why Finnick?" I asked irritably. "He seems to like basking in all of the attention associated with this…"

"Don't." Haymitch warned. "You know Odair only for his false persona that the Capitol forces him to wear. Deep down, he's just another victor, like you, who is broken and only trying to save his family."

"Okay, but don't I have a little while to prepare, as I am injured right now?" I asked, pointing to my hole-filled side.

My mentor shook his head. "That was snow on the phone. He attacked you as a warning for rejecting him. He said to tell you that your sister was next, by the way."

"No!" I shouted involuntarily. "I'll do anything to save Prim. Just tell me what I have to do!"

Haymitch's jaw clenched. "You're going to sell yourself out, and Finnick is going to show you how."

"But, what if I don't have any…. _experience_?" I asked, the last word barely more than a whisper.

Haymitch's expression blackened, and his fists clenched with hatred and anger. He turned away, mumbling. "Finnick can help you with all of that. He understands what you're going through."

I said nothing, and he walked to the door. "I'll send him in if you wish, but I have to go. Snow said that I should contact Cinna and the rest of the prep team."

I nodded, watching him walk out. "Good luck, Sweetheart." He threw over his shoulder.

As the door clicked to a close, I became acutely aware of my surroundings. I was in a district room of sorts, the one that you would see victors and mentors stay in once the Hunger Games were about to start, along with their life of mentoring.

The walls were a gross teal, and their were paintings on three of the walls. The final edge was made completely of a special glass, which could serve as a window or a projecting screen that would display any picture or scene you wished. I knew this only because there had been one in my room back when I was preparing for my own Games.

Various abstract pieces of art littered the huge room— paintings adorned the walls and every piece of furniture was unorthodox for anyone except the people of the Capitol. Nothing was of a normal color, as everything was either neon or bright in tint. The whole scene made me want to vomit, and them burn down the place. Part of me knew this would not be possible, as the Capitol's engineers had probably found some way to make it indestructible while they could have been saving sick innocent lives.

During my reverie, I hadn't noticed that Finnick had come back into the room, and I continued to be oblivious until he spoke up.

"Katniss?" He whispered softly, his voice coaxing and gentle in tone.

My head turned towards the sound, and I almost wanted to kill myself when I found out that I was drawn to the sound of Finnick Odair's voice. I shoved that thought aside hastily. "What?"

He stopped, his gaze flickering down to the floor. "Haymitch said you wanted to talk to me, and Snow said that I was to… _help_ you with all of _this_."

All the anger dissolved from my tone as I realized that I really could use Finnick's help. I knew little of what was about to happen, and Haymitch had said that Finnick had been though all this already. He was the only one who could really help me understand what all this was about to be about. "I'm sorry." I apologized to him, mostly for my harshness. "I just don't really know what's about to happen to me…"

The braze haired boy nodded understandingly, his gaze flicking from me to the bed, as though he was seeking permission to sit down. I nodded, and felt the bed dip with his weight on its corner. For the first time, I was seeing Finnick without the persona my mentor had spoken of, and in his sea-green eyes I could see just how broken he really was. He looked scared, and uncomfortable, as though he was a cornered animal that was being forced to so things he didn't wish to do.

My heart clenched at the thought that I would soon be a cornered animal, too; a slave of the Capitol and their wicked ways.

"You don't have to apologize." He said, his gaze lingering on the lime-green comforter. "What do you know about what's about to happen?"

Nothing, really, and I don't exactly want to find out more about the torchure I'll be forced to endure. My answer was honest. "I only know that I'll be selling myself soon, but nothing more than that, really."

Finnick's speech became terse. "You'll be a prostitute, and you'll be having sex with anyone who wishes to have it with you and is willing to pay the seemingly minute price of doing so. To make matters worse, you have to pretend that you're enjoying it the _whole _god damn time."

My eyes widened, and I physically backed away at his bluntness. He quickly realized the intensity of what he had said, and decided to apologize. "I'm sorry, I just really hate talking about this. I can't believe that they're doing this to you. I mean, seriously, how old are you, sixteen? Have you even lost your virginity yet?"

I turned away, his words striking a nerve because they were true. I hadn't yet been nearly that intimate with someone, and I had only kissed two boys in my life. Never had I even got past a brief kissing session that lasted for less than a whole minute or two. And now, I would loose my final sense of innocence to a random frilly man, who was probably thirty years older than me. I wouldn't know him, but he would know me. I wouldn't want to be there, but I would be forced there, with my family in stake.

The deep green eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you haven't lost your virginity yet! Katniss…"

Tears pricked my eyes, and against my strongest will, I couldn't keep them from spilling down my cheeks. The girl on fire was about to be extinguished by her own tears, and a single sob wracked my body. My fingers tightened into the sheets, and I wished desperately that I could hide myself from the harshness of reality and the world.

Finnick launched into a to full-out rant; his frame going rigid as he stood up and began to pace. "That asshole! How dare he think that he can just make you into whatever the hell he wants, and give you nothing in return! How can he expect for you to just sleep with whomever he tells you to, when you haven't even lost your virginity yet! How would he feel if someone did that to his bloody grand-daughter?"

I said nothing, by head drooping lower on my shoulders in despair. Finnick grew quiet for a moment, though I soon felt the bed dip and his calloused hands as they cupped my face. His breath fanned across my face, but I felt no urge to shove him away.

"I am so sorry, Katniss, but you don't want to loose your virginity to some random, sixty year-old, Capitol man, do you?" Finnick said, anger underlying in his voice, yet his tone was soft and sad.

I shook my head. "Of course I don't _want _to, but it doesn't appear as though I have a choice."

"But, you _do_." Finnick said, lifting my face so that my eyes looked into his.

**AN: To any of you who have not read my writing before (which I realize is ninety-nine percent of you), I will tell you that all of my stuff is unedited, and hot off the press. I apologize. I don't proofread, and I don't have a beta. I use writing as purely an escape, and choose to post it for others to enjoy. As a result, I write when I am feeling down or aren't happy with something in my life, and I just pound out things like this. Some people are impressed when they hear that I'm only fourteen. I don't know why I am telling you all of this, but I will tell you that I don't believe my writing is good, but I do share what I come up with on this site, where you all read it. My updates aren't scheduled, and can be either days or weeks apart. That is all. Thanks for reading, and it would be very kind of you to drop a review. I can continue this if you wish. **

**Should I continue? I know this is a common prompt that I probably butchered, but… I can continue it I guess. Sorry for the cliffy, I just got tired after writing this in two hours.**


	2. I Could Take It For You

**AN: Could it be? Another chapter after only a day after me writing the first one? Well, it is, because I actually woke up having notifications, which made me happy enough to write this little bit for you guys. (Italics are from last chapter, just to not confuse you.) PLEASE REVIEW, thanks for reading.**

_"You don't have to apologize." He said, his gaze lingering on the lime-green comforter. "What do you know about what's about to happen?"_

_Nothing, really, and I don't exactly want to find out more about the torchure I'll be forced to endure. My answer was honest. "I only know that I'll be selling myself soon, but nothing more than that, really."_

_Finnick's speech became terse. "You'll be a prostitute, and you'll be having sex with anyone who wishes to have it with you and is willing to pay the seemingly minute price of doing so. To make matters worse, you have to pretend that you're enjoying it the whole god damn time."_

_My eyes widened, and I physically backed away at his bluntness. He quickly realized the intensity of what he had said, and decided to apologize. "I'm sorry, I just really hate talking about this. I can't believe that they're doing this to you. I mean, seriously, how old are you, sixteen? Have you even lost your virginity yet?"_

_I turned away, his words striking a nerve because they were true. I hadn't yet been nearly that intimate with someone, and I had only kissed two boys in my life. Never had I even got past a brief kissing session that lasted for less than a whole minute or two. And now, I would loose my final sense of innocence to a random frilly man, who was probably thirty years older than me. I wouldn't know him, but he would know me. I wouldn't want to be there, but I would be forced there, with my family in stake._

_The deep green eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you haven't lost your virginity yet! Katniss…"_

_Tears pricked my eyes, and against my strongest will, I couldn't keep them from spilling down my cheeks. The girl on fire was about to be extinguished by her own tears, and a single sob wracked my body. My fingers tightened into the sheets, and I wished desperately that I could hide myself from the harshness of reality and the world._

_Finnick launched into a to full-out rant; his frame going rigid as he stood up and began to pace. "That asshole! How dare he think that he can just make you into whatever the hell he wants, and give you nothing in return! How can he expect for you to just sleep with whomever he tells you to, when you haven't even lost your virginity yet! How would he feel if someone did that to his bloody grand-daughter?"_

_I said nothing, by head drooping lower on my shoulders in despair. Finnick grew quiet for a moment, though I soon felt the bed dip and his calloused hands as they cupped my face. His breath fanned across my face, but I felt no urge to shove him away._

_"I am so sorry, Katniss, but you don't want to loose your virginity to some random, sixty year-old, Capitol man, do you?" Finnick said, anger underlying in his voice, yet his tone was soft and sad._

_I shook my head. "Of course I don't want to, but it doesn't appear as though I have a choice."_

_"But, you _do_." Finnick said, lifting my face so that my eyes looked into his._

"No I don't," I began to protest, the words weak and dipped in desperation as they spilled from my lips.

He silenced me by placing a slender finger on my lips. "You have to play the game, Katniss, but that doesn't mean you have to abide by all the rules."

I fruitlessly tried to hold back a sob. "What do you mean?" I asked in a whisper.

"I mean that you don't have to loose your virginity to some awful asshole that wears pink and has blue eyelashes. That's what Snow would want you to do, even though he hasn't said that directly. And, if he hasn't said something directly or ordered you about something, than you can still do it." Finnick explained, one of his hands working its way behind my head and into my hair.

My eyes flitted around the room nervously, as though in search of some new threat. "I don't want to do any of this, Finnick." I said, almost as a plea.

His eyes no longer shone with that false seductive glint; instead they were honest and sad. I could tell that he was regretting all of this. "I know, Katniss. But, I don't have the power to change it, even though I wish I could. I'm so sorry."

I shook my head. "It still isn't your fault."

"It isn't yours either, Katniss." He said, his eyes boring defiantly into mine. "And you should know that if your family knew what you were doing for them, they would be proud."

I scoffed. "Who could be proud of me, when I'm about to become the Capitol's very own, first class slut?"

"Whore." Finnick corrected, removing his hands from my head as he moved a little further away from me on the bed. "You'll be a whore, not a slut. There is a difference."

I gave a weak laugh. "Okay, I'm going to be a whore for the Capitol. How will that make my family proud?"

"It's not the simple fact that you're going to be a whore that is going to make them proud, Katniss. No one normal approves of a whore. But, with your circumstances, when you are saving their lives by selling yourself out, they should be proud. They'd be daft to not be."

Deep down, I knew he was right. I wasn't choosing the life of a prostitute, and if I had had my way, I would be home right now, with my family, proving all the wild game necessary for them to survive. In fact, if I had my way, Prim would have never been reaped. I never would have volunteered in her place. President Snow would have never met me, let alone had the wish to harm me and bring me into this life. I wouldn't be sitting here, telling an almost complete stranger about my problems.

"I guess." I agreed, still unsure about what I should do next.

Finnick was silent for a minute or so, and when he finally broke the silence, his words were quick, quiet, and barely understandable. "I could take it from you."

I said nothing, trying to register what he had just said. He took it as a motion to explain himself. "Only if you wanted, of course."

The words finally registered in my head, and I was physically knocked back at the intensity of their meaning. A blush quickly blossomed on my cheeks, and I looked down at the bedspread to avoid eye-contact with the bronze-haired boy in front of me.

"I'm sorry, I just though that…" Finnick said hurriedly, obviously mistaking my reaction.

I raised my head and held out a hand to stop him from continuing. "No, that would be great, I think. I was just surprised, that's all." I said, trying desperately to hide my anxiety.

"Katniss, I don't want to make you do something that you don't want to do…" He said, looking up to meet my gaze.

It took a lot more effort than I would like to admit to keep from turning away from him. "No." I stated. "I want you to do this."

"Are you sure?" He questioned, now almost on top of me after one graceful move. "Because there is no true going back from this, and I will be honest, it does hurt a little."

"Nothing I can't handle." I said confidently, trying to be as flirtatious as possible, seeing how I would need to be for all of my 'appointments'.

"I'm the girl on fire, remember?" I said, trying to bite my lip in a way that would be taken as sexy.

It was then that he smiled; an honest, true smile that only the genuine Finnick Odair could produce. He also drew his lower lip between his teeth, and began to grin madly. "I do remember someone saying that, Girl On Fire. Do you want to show me how to feed that flame of yours?"

Finnick's confident tone seemed to change my mood a little, and for a moment, I pushed away all qualms about all of this. For right now, it was just me and Finn, two teenagers in desperate need of something. Anything, I suppose, as long as it wasn't what lay days ahead of now.

"I think you are smart enough to find out for yourself, Fish Boy." I fired back, almost afraid of this new side of me.

He grinned lopsidedly, before pressing his lips to mine in a kiss like none other. It started out passionate, with no time to work my way up to it, and the gentleness he supplied me with was clashing harshly with the speed and intensity of how everything was happening.

My back hit the plush bed, and my head fell onto the excessive quantity of pillows as Finnick placed himself over me. Our lips stayed connected for another minute; his so experienced that he had me moaning in his mouth after the first few seconds. Hit tongue pillaged through my mouth for another short while, which I surprising found as more of a turn on than a turn off, and I enjoyed the taste of sugar coming from his lips.

When I broke the kiss, desperately gasping for more air, Finnick moved his lips along the column of my neck, nipping at my throat. "Tell me to stop." He hummed against my pulse, his voice almost at a desperate, lust-filled plea.

I shook my head, exposing more of my milky flesh to him in the process. "Don't. I need this."

He peppered more kisses along my collarbone, making his way back up a little. "I'm not good enough for this, Kat. You deserve more…"

I grasped his head in my hands, pulling it off my neck so that I could force him to look into my eyes, which were probably heavily lidded and lustful at this point. "Don't say that. I haven't known you for that long, but I know that you're better than the media makes you seem. I also know that you're better than the alternative."

He nodded, his eyes roving lazily up and down my body, before he latched his lips back onto mine. "I just wish that this had all happened differently." He said between kisses.

I couldn't have agreed with him more, but I knew that I had to get this show on the road before my self-consciousness came back. I had to meet with my very first client tomorrow, and I wanted tone prepared for it— or at least be as prepared as I could be considering the circumstances I was in.

My hands moved along the solid planes of his clothed chest, unsure of what they should do. He chuckled, pulling away from me so that he could unbutton the shirt and pull it away from his shoulders.

"Like what you see?" He asked, striking a provocative pose as I ogled his definitely fit torso.

I shook myself out of what had appeared to have been a trace. "Of course not!" I said instinctively, even though I knew it was a lie. Of course I was enjoying the look of Finnick's body. What female wouldn't?

Sadly enough, the sight of him made me even more unsure of myself. He had slept with hundreds, and had experience to spare, while I had done nothing of the sort. I was as new to this as a newborn baby. No boy had even seen me naked, let alone get this far with me, and my clothes weren't even off yet.

He seemed to notice my hesitation. "Don't worry about it. You're beautiful, and I've been forced to sleep with much worse than yourself. Just try to enjoy it, okay?"

I nodded, blinking away a few tears that had gathered in my eyes. "Okay."

Finnick straddled my stomach, before slipping down a bit lower so that he could kiss me again. His lips moved down along my throat for a few passes before he moved up to one of my ears, darting his tongue out behind it.

I was surprised when a long moan was drawn from my lips. He grinned, licking the spot again, which only resulted in another embarrassing noise coming from my mouth. A blush spread up my neck and painted my cheeks.

"I found it!" He said happily, teasing the spot a few more times.

"You found what?" I asked between harsh breaths.

His lips temporarily paused their ministrations, and his words blew cool air across my dampened skin, which elicited a shiver. "One of your soft spots. You probably have a few more."

"Where's yours?" I asked hurriedly, without thinking.

Finnick smirked and gave me a seductive wink. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."

After a few more moments of him licking and sucking on almost every inch of the skin of my neck and collarbone, Finnick managed to find yet another 'sweet spot' of mine, which he teased with no mercy until I was basically pliant and at his command.

I was a breathless and panting mess beneath him. "No fair! At least give me a hint at where your secret spots are!" I pleaded.

"There's this one place that not many people know about…" He said, trailing off.

"Please tell me where it is!" I begged, wanting to see if I could bring him to his knees like he was doing to me.

Finnick took one of my hands in his, dragging it up to his lips where he kissed every single one of my fingertips. "It's actually kind of exactly where one of yours is."

With his slight help and guidance, I reached behind his left ear, and pressed down a little on the skin behind the earlobe. He sighed contentedly, moving his head like a dog to get the most of the contact.

I giggled. "Seriously?"

He nodded, his eyes tightly closed in happiness. "You have no idea how good that feels."

"Sexy good?" I asked excitedly, looking down awkwardly to see if his smaller self might have gotten excited.

His eyes opened abruptly, and a deep chuckle tore loose from the confines of this throat. "Not really, actually. It just makes me happy. Anyway, sorry for that little mood killer."

The blush came back, and I tried to busy myself deeper into the bed as though it could hide myself. My hair was tangled around my face from Finnick's playing with it, and the brown strands fell into my face due to their being pulled out of my usual braid.

Finnick fell to my side unexpectedly, and he sighed. "I'm really not in the mood to 'get it on' right now, if you catch my drift, but I can still try for you if you want…"

"No! That's fine!" I said, wondering what the heck I had done wrong to kill the mood.

It was as though he read my mind. "It was nothing you did, it's just that I'm really tired and in a cuddly mood."

I nodded understandingly. "So… Do you want to cuddle?"

"With a complete stranger?" He asked sarcastically.

I gave another nod. "I suppose you could look at it that way, though we were just trying to have sex…"

"Of course I want to cuddle with the Girl On Fire!" Finnick exclaimed, pulling me into his side. "Give it two hours or so of sleep, and I promise you, I'll do whatever the hell you wish."

"Sounds good." I said, relishing the feelings of his strong arms which had wrapped themselves around my waist.

I was about to speak again, but I saw that Finnick's sea-green eyes were now closed, and his breathing was even. The occasional snore even slipped from his nose.

I sighed, setting the bedside alarm for a few hours from now as I still had a lot to learn about the human body before my appointment tomorrow, and I knew that if I was allowed to sleep, I wouldn't wake up until it was too late.

**AN: Haha, I bet some of you were expecting a lemon. I don't blame you, but please, don't kill me! I guess I could do one in the next chapter if enough of you want it, but I'll have to get A LOT of people saying that. I know I've never had sex, and my writing about it probably won't please your fantasies, but if you truly want it, I suppose it could be done. Say, I get ten review requesting it and I could make it happen? Anyway, thanks for all the notifications, (I ACTUALLY WOKE UP HAVING THEM THIS MORNING) and thanks for reading.**


	3. For the First Time: SMUT

**AN: Smutty, citrusy, lemonade goodness ahead. Usually, I say that when life give you lemons, you make life take the lemons back, but right now, I suggest that you read these lemons if they are your thing. If they are not, skip this chapter, and I will provide its summary at the start of the next. **

**Here is chapter three, which only two people made a move to request. Seriously, I have so many more stories that I should be writing, and I can move onto those if no one wants this one. If you don't want more, tell me, and I'll stop. Anyway, please enjoy this chappie. :D**

**Disclaimer: I AM SO SORRY for forgetting to include this in some of the previous chapters, and I will say that I own nothing of this except the wording. I don't own the characters for this, as they all belong to their creator, Suzanne Collins. I don't even really own the idea for this, as so many people have written about Katniss and Finnick living in a life of prostitution. **

_I was a breathless and panting mess beneath him. "No fair! At least give me a hint at where your secret spots are!" I pleaded._

_"There's this one place that not many people know about…" He said, trailing off._

_"Please tell me where it is!" I begged, wanting to see if I could bring him to his knees like he was doing to me._

_Finnick took one of my hands in his, dragging it up to his lips where he kissed every single one of my fingertips. "It's actually kind of exactly where one of yours is."_

_With his slight help and guidance, I reached behind his left ear, and pressed down a little on the skin behind the earlobe. He sighed contentedly, moving his head like a dog to get the most of the contact._

_I giggled. "Seriously?"_

_He nodded, his eyes tightly closed in happiness. "You have no idea how good that feels."_

_"Sexy good?" I asked excitedly, looking down awkwardly to see if his smaller self might have gotten excited._

_His eyes opened abruptly, and a deep chuckle tore loose from the confines of this throat. "Not really, actually. It just makes me happy. Anyway, sorry for that little mood killer."_

_The blush came back, and I tried to busy myself deeper into the bed as though it could hide myself. My hair was tangled around my face from Finnick's playing with it, and the brown strands fell into my face due to their being pulled out of my usual braid._

_Finnick fell to my side unexpectedly, and he sighed. "I'm really not in the mood to 'get it on' right now, if you catch my drift, but I can still try for you if you want…"_

_"No! That's fine!" I said, wondering what the heck I had done wrong to kill the mood._

_It was as though he read my mind. "It was nothing you did, it's just that I'm really tired and in a cuddly mood."_

_I nodded understandingly. "So… Do you want to cuddle?"_

_"With a complete stranger?" He asked sarcastically._

_I gave another nod. "I suppose you could look at it that way, though we were just trying to have sex…"_

_"Of course I want to cuddle with the Girl On Fire!" Finnick exclaimed, pulling me into his side. "Give it two hours or so of sleep, and I promise you, I'll do whatever the hell you wish."_

_"Sounds good." I said, relishing the feelings of his strong arms which had wrapped themselves around my waist._

_I was about to speak again, but I saw that Finnick's sea-green eyes were now closed, and his breathing was even. The occasional snore even slipped from his nose._

_I sighed, setting the bedside alarm for a few hours from now as I still had a lot to learn about the human body before my appointment tomorrow, and I knew that if I was allowed to sleep, I wouldn't wake up until it was too late._

With that, my eyes closed themselves, and I found that I was in fact, quite tired. All of the stress that had come to me within the past few days had become overbearing, and sleep was welcome in my current state.

I had no problem falling asleep, and found that I was quickly dragged into a long lapse of nightmares, as I usually did as of late. The games still had that imprint on me, and I found that I frequently relived the events that had occurred during them in my sleep.

~Line Break~

I screamed as the large flock of JabberJays attacked me and Peeta, though we were both separated by a large shield of invisibility. I cried his name numerous times, but he never responded, and I had to watch as he was swallowed up by the flock of monsters. His face contorted numerous times in agony as they slowly drove him insane; driving him to his death.

The cannon sounded, signaling his death, and I felt as though I was being shaken by some unseen force. I cried out some more, trying not to tear my eyes from Peeta, but the scene quickly dissolved, changing that into the image of a fancy Capitol bedroom.

"Peeta!" I cried, thrashing uncontrollably as I tried to escape the grasp of whatever was holding me down.

"Katniss, it was just a dream, you're okay." A calm voice said into my ear, and I quickly realized it was Finnick.

"Finnick?" I asked, my limbs stopping their flailing for a brief moment. "What's happening?"

He looked into my eyes, and I noticed that he was hovering over me and pinning my wrists above my head to keep me from striking him. "You were sleeping; _we_ were sleeping, and I woke up to that alarm you set. You slept through it, and I decided to let you sleep in a little. I went down to get some breakfast and I came back up when I heard you screaming. You were thrashing wildly on the bed, and I tried to wake you up, but it took you a few minutes to fully come-to."

I looked at a nasty little gash on his cheek, which was undoubtedly left from one of my fingernails. "I'm sorry." I said, pointing at the gash.

He released my hands, and left the straddling potion he had, chosen to lay by my side instead. "It's not your fault. It's a victor thing. We all have the nightmares, and we freak out when someone tries to wake us from them."

I blushed when I remembered the activities we had been doing before we took our nap, and spot ten that he was still shirtless. It was hard to believe that seeing men much more naked than Finn was right now was going to become a normal for me. It was even more difficult to believe that strangers would be paying to see me naked, every day.

"Does it ever get easier?" I asked him, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"No," He answered dully, taking my hand in his. "The nightmares stay, but I guess you get numbed the prostitution after a while."

I sighed, and he began to trace soothing shapes with his thumb on the back of my hand. "Are you ready?" He asked.

I said nothing at first, unsure at what he was getting at. It was only when his lips attached themselves to my own that I realized he was talking about us having sex.

"Hmmm. Not really." I moaned between kisses.

Finnick trailed a few kisses down my neck, nipping and leaving a path of fire in his wake. "How about now?" He asked huskily.

"Still not feeling it." I joked, even though I did in fact feel a slight tingle in my stomach.

He sucked on one of my sweet spots, and a long moan fell from my lips. "Sure," He said sarcastically, drawing out the 'u' to be longer than it was supposed to be. "I'm sure that moan was accidental, and you're not feeling it whatsoever."

With the help of his banter, I forgot about all of the hell I was going to have to face within a few hours. It was just me and him, and even though I had only known Finnick for a few days, it felt as though I had known him for my entire lifetime. I trusted him more than I should have, and for once, I felt as though someone understood me perfectly.

In my haze, I hadn't noticed that he had pulled my shirt off my body, leaving me in nothing more than a plain cotton bra to cover my chest. He laughed lightly when I attempted to cover my quite minuscule chest and a blush rose on my pale skin.

"You know this might be the last time you have the luxury of wearing plain underwear, right?"

I hadn't thought of that. My mind though back to all of the closets Effie had provided me with before the games, and how they had all been filled with expensive, lacey, colorful, and exposing lingerie. At the time I had been revolted by them, and had quickly slammed the door in embarrassment, as I had never pictured myself wearing any of them, let alone be _forced _to wear them.

"Ugh." I sighed. "Have you _seen_ what they'll make me wear?" I asked, not knowing that it was a stupid question. Of course he had seen. He was a man-whore. A prostitute.

Finnick shook his head at my innocence. "I've seen them. Prostitute, remember? Anyway, I heard Cinna was in charge of getting you some more…"—He searched momentarily for the right words.—"Suitable clothes for your type of _work_."

I knew he was right, and couldn't help but feel my self-confidence dip to a new low. I was expected to be with my first customer of sorts in only a few more hours, and I was still a virgin with no experience. People would be paying their money to have their time with an unprofessional teen who had no interest of being in her trade. I made note that Finnick would have to show me how to make it seem as though I wasn't absolutely revolted to be in my purchaser's company— if you could even call it that.

As I had slipped away from reality once more, Finnick had began to simply toy with one of the stapes of my bra, teasing it up before scooting it down a little more on my shoulder. I considering pulling his hand away, but I knew that he would be seeing me in much less soon enough. I would have to get used to being seen fully by men; most of which probably much less kind than Finnick.

I didn't know how to request that he continue, as I don't really know what was coming next. Luckily enough, Finnick seemed to get the hint. "You ready?" He asked, his eyes looking purposefully into mine as though he was inspecting them for lies.

"Yeah." I said uneasily, scooting awkwardly on the bed in an attempt to get more comfortable.

"Try to enjoy it a little?" He said hopefully, trying to calm me down a little. "I'll be as gentle as I can, and try to remember that I actually care about you. Okay, Girl on Fire?"

I nodded, and was amazed when he moved me further up the bed a little, which ended up being much easier on my back. My expression must have conveyed my question, as Finnick spoke.

"I used to have this, well, _elderly_ client, who had some back issues. She would always make me pull her farther up on the bed, as it was easier on her. You looked uncomfortable and awkward, so I figured it would help a little." He explained before swooping down to capture my lips in another passionate kiss.

My hands fisted involuntarily into his hair, moving blindly as his lips continued their assault on mine. Finnick's hands wove wonderfully through my own hair, wringing out some of the tangles and he moved his fingers down to my shoulders.

His calloused palms ran down my bare sides, eliciting a powerful shiver from my head down to my toes, and they finally found a resting place low on my hips where his fingers tickled and teased the skin above my jeans.

When we both needed air, he pried his lips from my mouth, allowing me to gasp and pant under his skilled body. Finn's lips traced along my collar, leaving a dampened trail from my earlobes to by now thrumming pulse.

"How did you get this good?" I asked breathlessly, my eyes still squeezed shut.

He chuckled, spreading cool air against my dampened flesh. "Practice makes perfect, I suppose."

Had my brain been in a more functional state, I would have realized that my question had been foolish, but at that time, I was surprised that my lips could even form words.

His hands deftly reached behind my back, which I arched unconsciously, and he quickly undid the clasp of my bra. Before I could stop him— which I probably wouldn't have even if I did have the time to— he teased the white straps down my arms, revealing the entirety of my torso. I became acutely aware of the chill in the room, along with his gaze upon my freshly exposed flesh.

I made another move to cover up, but he simply grasped my writs in his hands and pulled them away from my chest. He moved his mouth close to the shell of my ear and whispered, "You're beautiful, Kat. Try to flaunt it, as you'll have to get used to being exposed, and to eyes much harsher than mine."

I followed his advice, but couldn't help the flush of pink that blossomed up my neck and cheeks as I experimentally moved my hips against his. Watching his green eyes, I noticed that they darkened considerably, and I took that as I was doing something right.

"Like that?" I asked, still unsure of myself.

He groaned, moving his hips in a way that created some more delicious friction. "Just like that."

Finnick connected his lips to mine once more, and I was surprised when he flipped us over; making me land on top of him, straddling his stomach while my hands pressed against his chest, as I let out a surprised squeal.

I was about to flip us back over, uncomfortable with the sudden control he gave me, but he spoke instead. "Try it, you might like it better this way, and some clients will rather have you on top."

Although I was still unsure of myself, as I'm sure everyone in my shoes would be, a got back to moving my hips and tracing my fringes along his torso. Finnick nodded approvingly, though I couldn't help but think that I would never be as good as him at this.

When my fingers somehow fount themselves at the "V" of his hips, tracing the line of his cargo shorts, I couldn't help but flush red and stop what I was doing; unsure of what to do next.

His hands grasped mine, helping me guide the material down his legs, and he lifted us a little to dispose of the object on the floor. My eyes widened when I felt something hard pressing into my rear, and I realized he had been going commando _all day long_.

I tried to add some humor into the situation. "You go commando on a regular basis?"

"Some clients find it endearing." He explained. "And, it makes everything easier in general."

"Isn't it a little uncomfortable?" I asked, finding myself genuinely curious for the oddest of reasons.

He shook his head. "Not really. In fact, when you have to wear all those thongs and crap, you'll probably be wishing you could just go commando instead."

"Eww. I highly doubt it." I said, before flipping us back over while he wasn't expecting it.

Finnick pouted, feigning hurt. "Aww, does the Girl on Fire like being on bottom better?"

I shook my head, trying to not let the innuendo go to my head. I had to go through this, and I had to stop stalling. Finnick was much better than any of the alternatives, and although it would be better to have my first time in a more romantic setting when I was older, that wasn't going to happen. So, I decided to continue with the light banter and get ti over with.

"I don't know, Finn. Wouldn't you like to be able to find out, though?" I said as seductively as I could manage.

"You're still wearing too many clothes." He whined, bringing his lips to mine as a distraction.

It was only when I felt the cooled air on my southern parts that I realized that I had been stripped bare and that Finnick Odair was a sneaky little bastard that was a master of this trade.

He had his hand down there before I could even think about crossing my legs or trying to cover up. My mouth fell open, widening into an "o" as pleasure erupted through my entire system.

His second hand, reached up and grabbed a breast, and began to squeeze and roll it between his fingers, drawing out a long moan from my mouth. "Mhmmm…" I sighed, temporarily out of this world with how I was feeling.

"I haven't even gotten started yet," Finnick stated, chuckling a little to himself. "But feel free to sit back and enjoy the ride, Girl on Fire."

Instead of blushing, which I had done plenty of this morning, I simply did as Finnick requested, lying back with my back arched off the bed as he worked his magic on my body.

HIs lips met mine once more in a teasing way, and he pulled away before I could even open my mouth to consider allowing his tongue inside. I whimpered against my will of the lack of his lips on mine, but his mouth soon busied itself with equally good things.

He sucked momentarily at my pulse—undoubtedly leaving a mark that would show up tomorrow, before venturing further south along my collar bone and onto my chest. The hand that he had been using to massage one of my breast alternated to the other, and his mouth soon replaced it, sending a new euphoria of pleasure through my spine.

I groaned as the tightening in my stomach increased until it was almost physically unbearable. Not knowing what it meant, or if it was supposed to be happening, I began to get worried, and my eyes snapped open. I tried to hold back any of the further feelings by tensing every muscle in my body, and Finnick seemed to notice the look of concern upon my face.

He continued his ministrations while he offered reassurance. "It's fine. Completely normal. Just _let go._"

I did as he told me, as I knew that he knew best when it came to these types of situations. As a result of my loosening up, I was met by sharp blasts of white light agains my eyelids as the coil in my stomach finally released. My whole body shook and tensed as Finnick continued to pump his fingers in and out of me and I rode out what I could only assume was my very first orgasm.

His lips connected to mine, effectively silencing my cries— which would have been embarrassingly loud had he not held them back. He only pulled away when I was utterly exhausted, and all of the pleasure seemed to dim into an odd afterglow.

"That was…" I began, unsure of what word would be best to complete that sentence.

He chuckled, still hovering over my seemingly paralyzed form. "Wonderful? Mind-blowing? Perfect? Amazing? Lovely?"

I cut him off, blushing. "Yes, all of those things, but you don't have to inflate your ego any more than it already is."

Finnick made a look of mock hurt, before grinning madly. "Ready for round two?"

My eyes widened. I had thought that was all we would end up doing, and I felt tired enough that I wasn't even sure I could manage staying awake for another few minutes.

He seemed to read my expression. "Come on, Girl on Fire! You wan't tell me you're already spent after the prep-period?"

Part of me was overjoyed that we would be continuing this little escapade, while the more logical part of me knew I was exhausted and wanted little more than to take another nap. Another tiny nagging part of me reminded myself that I had my first client in a few hours.

"Let's get this over with…" I sighed.

Finnick frowned, making a pouty face. "What happened to the girl that was moaning uncontrollably a few minutes ago, begging me not to stop, and where did she go?"

I shrugged. "I guess she left the building. You might want to go chase after her."

"Come on, Kat." He coaxed. "No girl I'm with is going to just complain about sleeping with me and get away with it.

I had little time to think about the possible double meaning behind what he had just said, and what it could possibly mean about our current relationship; as the boy from four was already shoving his perfectly imperfect tongue down my throat.

Moaning, I felt his already hardening erection press against my entrance, and I gasped when he pulled out of the kiss. "This is going to hurt." Finnick apologized before pushing in a little.

My insides began to stretch, and the feeling was laced with both discomfort and pleasure. He paused at my barrier, looking regretful. "It helps if I just do this like a band-aid, okay?"

I nodded, slamming my eyes shut and tensing every muscle in my body as I waited for the pain to come. After a few seconds of nothing happening, I opened my eyes, and saw that Finnick was frowning.

"What's wrong?" I asked, nervous.

He shook his head. "Well, besides you being here, preparing to be a prostitute while I'm really kicking myself for doing this to you, I want this to be as painless for you as possible; meaning, that you need to relax. Trust me when I say that it will make everything so much easier."

I gave another weak nod before I tried to relax all of my muscles. Finnick slammed into me then, when I was least expecting it.

Nearly howling with the pain, I felt a single tear roll down my already dampened cheeks. Finnick began to mumble apologies as quickly as he could manage, and kissed my forehead and face repeatedly until the pain slowly ebbed away.

I moved my hips experimentally, surprised to see that the pain had quickly turned into a new kind of pleasure. Finnick took my moves as a signal to start trusting slowly into me, eliciting a series of moans as my breaths became more and more uneven and ragged.

The feeling of something tightening and coiling within my stomach quickly returned, and I found myself begging Finn to pick up the pace. As he obliged, I felt my body racing towards that cliff; marking the nearing of my fall into the white oblivion of bliss.

My orgasm was strong and fast, and I felt Finnick follow after me. He fell to a heap beside me, and we both took some time to collect our breaths and return to a state of normalcy.

"That was even better than the first round." I admitted.

"That was some nice sex. How are you feeling?" He asked, his sea-green eyes boring into mine.

I felt sore, but nothing that wasn't tolerable. "Good."

I wondered if that really was some good sex to him, as he had so much of it, and not for the first time, he seemed to read my mind. "Not all sex is that good, trust me, Girl on Fire." He said, chuckling.

I could only nod and smile, knowing that I would probably soon be finding out that was the truth.

**AN: I wrote this while listening to Usher's **_**Climax**_**, which I must say, is a PHENOMENAL song. I guess it kinda fits this… Not really. Just listen to it. It is really good. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading, and remember, review telling me if you want me to continue or not. I'm not sure I like where this is heading, but maybe you guys do. Tell me if you want me to continue on more of a "T" or "M" rated path. **

_**And, to whoever reviewed as Phoenix (Guest), I would just like to thank you. I couldn't PM you to thank you, so I will do it right now. I do understand how you feel when you say you want to spoon out your eyeballs when you read your previous writings, as that happens to me, even just days after writing stuff. I agree, there aren't enough completed stories for this pairing, which is why I wanted to attempt to write this prompt. Happy to hear that you're impressed by my writing at my age! Anyway, your review meant a lot, so I thank you if you are reading this!**_


	4. Showing of the Ropes

**Okay, so below, I have done a brief summary of the last chapter, as some people might have skipped it due to the smutty contents in it. If you read last chapter, and it is still fresh in your mind, feel free to skip this italic section. If you want a refresher or didn't read the last chapter, make sure to read the italics. **

_Summary__: During last chapter, which I named 'For the First Time', Katniss Everdeen lost her virginity to Finnick Odair, hence the name being a both a Daughtry song reference, and a hint as to what the chapter does contain. The chapter had begun with a brief flashback of the chapter before that, before both Katniss and Finnick fell asleep. She began to have bad dreams, as all victors do, and he woke to her screams and decided to comfort her. _

_When she is woken up, she remembers that she had her first 'client' in a few hours, because it is indeed early morning, probably around two or so. So, she and Finnick have sex so that she doesn't have to loose her virginity to any snobby, colorful capitolite. That is all. _

**Now, with that out of the way, please enjoy the next chapter, and realize that I do not own the **_**Hunger Games**_**, and most of the characters within this piece belong to Suzanne Collins.**

I pushed the food on my plate around with a fork, seemingly unable to eat the meal. Across the table sat Finnick, and I knew he was staring at me without even looking at him.

After we had sex, we had laid in bed for another twenty minutes before Finnick said that I had to eat, and that we had to get on with my 'training'. Hearing the words come from his mouth just made it all seem so much more real, and I couldn't help the onslaught of nerves that overcame me after he said it.

"When I said that we should eat, I meant that we both should actually eat, and not just push the food around our plates." Finnick said jokingly, trying to lighten the tension in the air.

I nodded, looking to the clock on the wall that stated that the time was just past three-fifteen, marking the twelve hour mark for my first appointment. I didn't feel nearly prepared enough for it, and I didn't think that I ever would be.

I was an emotional mess. My hair was a rat's nest, and I was beginning to feel sore from my earlier escapade with the heartthrob from district four. I didn't feel sexy. I didn't want to be sexy, or at least not for a bunch of old, creepy, and strange Capitol men. Any euphoric joy I had been feeling just moments ago had dissolved into nothing but anxiety. I knew Finnick could tell, and for the umpteenth time this morning, he apologized.

"I'm so sorry, Kaniss. You know I never would have wanted this to happen…"

I cut him off, shaking my head. "I know, Finnick. I don't think any of my friends or family would have wanted this to happen to me. I son't think any sane person would wish prostitution upon someone, but then again, President Snow isn't sane, and I am going to be a prostitute, whether I like it or not. And, I don't, I assure you."

Finnick nodded before shoving another bit of toast into his face. "You should really eat something though, as we're going to be busy, and not have a ton of time for breaks."

To please him, I picked up a small bit of a donut and ate it. Standing up, I got out of my chair, and proceeded to leave the dining area, as there was nothing really left for me to do there. I was in desperate need for a shower, and although I was in no mood to go through all of the Capitol's fancy options, I entered the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

Numbly, I reached into the shower cubicle and turned the water nob, which resulted in a hot spray coming from all corners of the shower. I undressed and entered the water flow, letting the scalding water bounce off my skin painfully. I guess part of me hoped the pain would offer a temporary distraction from my predicament, and another part of me wished that it would keep my tears away.

To say that part of my plan failed miserably would be an understatement, as within my first few minutes of being in the shower I began to cry. The thoughts of what was happening refused to go away, and the sobs just wracked my body.

I cleaned myself, and although that took nothing more than ten minutes, I stayed in the shower for much longer. I allowed my frame to crumple to the cool tile floor, where I pulled my knees up to my chest and allowed the tears to flow freely. They mixed with the water and sometimes landed in my mouth, and I was pretty sure Finnick could hear my strangled cries from wherever he was in the house.

I suppose part of me wanted him to ignore the sounds I was making, as that part of me wanted to be alone. Another part of me wished that he would just come to the door and see if I was okay, and then notice that I obviously wasn't okay. I didn't think I ever would be okay again.

Even after another ten minutes, when there was a knocking on the door, the water was still running hot, much to both my pleasure and irritation.

My skin was as red as a lobster, and my hair was still matted, but I spoke from my spot on the shower floor. "What, Finnick?"

"You've been in there for an hour." He stated, his voice muffled from the door and the cascading water. "Are you okay?"

Of course I wasn't okay, and I wasn't going to tell him otherwise. "No." I answered dully. "I'm not okay."

"Want me to come in?" He asked in his seductive Capitol voice, although I could tell he was being serious.

I shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see it. "I'm fine, Finnick…"

The door opened just the same, and some additional light spilled into the room. A large shadow formed at the edge of the curtain, before one of Finnick's large hands reached inside and groped for the nob that controlled the water. Finding it after a moment, he flicked it, and the water shut off, leaving me in a very cold state. I couldn't stop the shiver that ran through me at the sudden chill.

"Come on, Katniss. Do I have to come in there?" He asked, his shadow still visible through the curtain.

"No," I mumbled, before trying to haul myself up and off the floor. After three unsuccessful attempts, I changed my answer. "Maybe."

I heard a rustling noise, before Finnick came in with a large green towel which he handed to me. Wrapping it around my torso, I tucked it under my arms and allowed Finnick to pick me up bridal-style and carry me out of the bathroom, which did not have a single sliver of steam in it despite my having showered in it for over an hour.

He carried me into the bedroom I was residing in for my time at the Capitol, and set me down on the California-king sized bed. He then walked towards one of the large walk-in closets, and rifled through the seemingly infinite piles of clothing that Cinna and Effie had graciously selected for me.

After a few moments, I heard him curse. He was frustrated and upset. "Goddammit, Kat! Did they leave you anything remotely casual in here?"

I had asked that very question many times myself. "Under the abnormally large piles of cardigans is a pair of sweats and a tee from my district." I said, beginning to stare at the ceiling.

"Ah!" He exclaimed before walking back to me. "Found them."

I said nothing, as I felt entirely numb—lifeless even. Finnick sighed. "Come on Girl on Fire, you don't want people to think that shower extinguished your flame, do you?"

Despite shaking my head, I couldn't help but almost wish that I was out of he limelight for a minute. I wanted to be that poor girl from twelve that hunted illegally in the woods to make a living. I wanted to be that girl who tried her best to feed her sister and her mother, even though she had problems herself. But, most of all, I wanted to _not_ be a prostitute or a slave to the Capitol. I wanted to have never met President Snow, and to have never been introduced to his wicked ways.

Of course, I couldn't turn back the hands of time, and it seemed as there would be no going back to that life, or at least no time soon. Looking back to Finnick, I saw that he had sat down on the corner of the bed, and was wearing a frown on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked, some idiotic part of me thinking that I had done soothing wrong.

He looked up. "I just really wish this hadn't happened to you. Trust me, Girl on Fire, you did nothing wrong, and don't deserve this."

"You don't either," I mumbled, looking back down at the lime-colored comforter.

Finnick moved closer and grasped my head in his hands, making me look up at him. "Katniss, I know you don't want any part of this, but we really have to get training. Your first appointment is only ten hours away, and, no offense, you aren't nearly prepared for it."

I nodded, knowing he was right. "What should we do, then?"

He shrugged and looked as though he didn't know where to begin. "I guess we could work on your basic seductive skills."

I wouldn't help but wonder what 'seductive skills' exactly were. A few hours ago I had been very inexperienced, and still been a virgin. Now, I was no longer a virgin, but I was still inexperienced. My kisses were probably still sloppy and unattractive, and I had little idea of how to move in the sexiest way possible. Having just seen Finnick in the field, I knew I had a lot to learn, and little time to learn it.

"Okay, just show me what I need to do, I guess." I said softly, turning my attention to the bronze-haired boy ahead of me.

He nodded, backing away a little so that he could start. "First off, you need to learn how to make it seem that you tolerate being there, and by the end of the appointment, you have to make it seem as though they changed your mind about all of this— that they actually mattered to you, and that they were much better than any of your other clients."

Finnick paused, and I took it as a sign to speak. "Okay, so how do I do that exactly?"

He shrugged. "I usually start out a little cliché and overly seductive in the beginning, and by the end I try to make it seem a little more personal, and try to make it appear as though I'm enjoying myself more."

I nodded, although I had little to no idea of how to do those things. I didn't know how to be seductive, and I wasn't a master at flirting. Back in twelve, it would have been seen as slutty and whorish to flirt or even show that kind of interest in a person of the opposite sex at my age, and I had never had a boyfriend, really, or any boy that I looked at as though I would wish to have them be my first.

"Does that make a little sense?" Finnick asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I stumbled over my words. "Umm, yeah. I can do that…"

He shook his head. "Kat, if you just need me to show you, just tell me, and I'll help you. Trust me when I say that you don't want your clients to complain to Snow, and the only way they'll be satisfied is if they have a good time with you. So, I'll ask you again, did that make any sense, or do you want me to explain further?"

Finnick hadn't said that unkindly, but it stung like a slap nonetheless, and I answered him honestly this time. "I have no idea how to flirt of be remotely seductive."

He said nothing at first, and I thought that he hadn't heard me. It was a a distant possibility, as I had spoken quite softly due to my embarrassment and obvious discomfort with the subject. But, before I could repeat myself, he continued.

"Okay, well, did you ever see any films back in your district about adult romances?"

I shook my head. "We didn't have any real leisurely films back in twelve…"

Finnick pressed his palm to his face as though he was disappointed in himself for not thinking of that. "Of course, I'm sorry. Did you see your parents ever have any romantic moments?"

Unknowingly, he had touched another touchy subject: my father. Against my control, an onslaught of memories came flooding to the forefront of my brain, all of which featuring my father before his accident in the mines. I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I thought about him not approving of my current situation, and how he would have been assumed to have a daughter who lost her virginity at the age of seventeen, especially to a man she was not married to.

I felt a strong hand on my face, and Finnick's thumb brushed away the tear. "I'm so sorry for bringing that up, Katniss. I'm so terrible…"

I choked back a sob, which resulted in a weird noise. I had been crying _way_ to much lately. "No, it's fine, just tell me what to do."

"Are you sure? I think that we could manage taking a quick break…"

I cut him off. "No, we can continue. I'm sorry."

He nodded, continuing with his teachings. I found that my mind was wandering. Images kept racing through my mind, and I couldn't find the means to stop them. A large quantity of Capitol men flashed behind my eyelids, colored wigs and all. My hands visibly shook at the thought that I would be sleeping with some of them, and almost willingly.

Images of my father becoming enraged came next. Although he had seldom gotten mad in the time I had known him, I could only picture what his reaction would be if he were to hear of what I was to become. A prostitute. An embarrassment. I found my lips moving as they made words that seemed his forgiveness, though no sound tumbled through. _I'm so sorry, father. _

I felt hands on my face once more. "Katniss? Katniss?" A worried voice asked.

My eyes snapped open, and I realized that I hadn't been paying any attention to Finnick and his lessons for a few minutes. "Sorry, Finn." I apologized, feigning nonchalance. "What were you saying?"

He jumped off the bed suddenly, landing with a large thump as his feet hit the hardwood floor. His hands moved frantically, and his next words came out of his mouth in a frenzied, angry rush.

"I can't do this anymore!" Finnick began, now pacing wildly. "You are seventeen, Katniss, and you can't do this! He only gave you less than twenty-four goddamn hours to prepare for all of this, and there is no way I'm going to go along with all of this shit. No way am I going to make you go through with this either…"

Almost foolishly, I tried to interrupt his rant. "Finnick…"

He wasn't having any of it. After being stuck in this life for a few years, he had accumulated a large amount of hate and anger, and he was bound to get some of it out right now. "No, Katniss! We shouldn't have to be part of their games anymore! We did what they asked, killing many innocent people in our Hunger Games. We suffered and survived through _two_ of them. We've killed too many people, and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself. And, now, Snow expects both of us to just sell out our intimacy for him."

"Finnick," I tried again, my voice soft in comparison to his booming baritone.

"I won't do it! I can't be part of this life anymore! I need to be back, protecting my family, living the life of a fairly normal young, free, man. And you, my dearest friend from district twelve, should be taking care of your mother and your beloved sister, Primrose. Neither of us should be rotting in this fascist country, selling out our bodies for the President's benefit. I know I'm getting nothing out of this deal…" His voice trailed off, finally unable to continue without any oxygen in his lungs.

"Finnick, you know that there is little we can do without starting a revolution…"

He cut me off faster than I would have deemed remotely possible, his anger still in full swing. "That's exactly what we'll do then! We could start another revolution, and make this one a successful one."

I couldn't listen to it any longer. Finnick was speaking foolishly, and I knew he wasn't really meaning anything he was saying. Sure, he was fed up with this life. But, that didn't mean he would put people in harm's way just so that he could get out of this life of prostitution. "You know that you're not going to do that, Finn."

He waited a moment, and his shoulders slouched as the tension slowly left his body. "I know." He mumbled sadly, laying back down on the mattress as he tried to catch his breath. "This is just so terrible, and I want it to stop."

"Don't we all?" I asked, meaning it to be rhetorical and to myself.

Finnick answered regardless. "Apparently not Snow or any of his stupid Capitolite followers."

"Of course, or else we wouldn't be here." My irritation was clear in my voice, despite my trying to hide it from Finnick, who seemed to be troubled enough as it was. "Can we just get on with my lessons, please?"

Making his way back towards me, he seemed to look int my eyes as though they could relay to him if I was being honest or not. "You sure?" He asked, clearly a little dubious.

I nodded. "Teach me the fundamentals of flirting, oh Great Master Odair." I said, my tone sarcastic and light enough to ease the mood a little.

Finnick leaped right back into his teachings as though the past few minutes had never occurred. "You see, they enjoy eye contact and overtly excessive blinking. Try to flutter you eyelashes."

Not able to stop the groan that came from my throat, I found myself hesitantly doing as he asked. In the most discreet manner possible, I fluttered my lashes.

He chuckled. "Is that the best you can do, Girl on Fire?"

Probably. "What should I do different?"

"Make it a little more obnoxious. Nothing our clients do is ever discreet, so they won't want your actions to be so during your stay."

I resisted the strong urge to vomit before I blinked in rapid succession. "Better?" I asked, scowling.

He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure people aren't turned on when someone is scowling at them while blinking like a Barbie."

I threw up my hands. "How should I 'flutter my eyelashes' then? Is there any other way?"

It was then that Finnick moved startlingly close, and began to widen his eyes and blink like a girl. His abnormally large lashes—which I would die for—worked in his favor, and he indeed did look like a girl who was trying to be flirtatious.

With myself speechless, he chuckled. "_That,_ Girl on Fire, is how you get things done."

"Whatever. What's next?" I asked, impatient. In my head, the clock was constantly ticking down to my first appointment. Time was running shorter by the minute.

Finnick waved his pointer finger in a 'not so fast' manner. "I want to see _you_ do it before we move on." He explained.

Sighing dramatically, I cocked my head a little to the right, and briefly fluttered my eyes. "There."

"You could do better, but I suppose it's good enough for now." He said, before backing away. "Next, I want to see you strip in the most seductive way you can."

I felt as though my eyes widened and my jaw fell to the floor. _He can't possibly be serious, _I thought to myself. There was no way that Finnick could just ask me to strip for him, and judge me on how seductive I was being. Then again, just weeks ago, I would have never thought I would ever become a prostitute. Months ago, I would have never thought my sister would get reaped for the Hunger Games. I would have never imagined me volunteering in her place, either.

"Come on Kat, we don't have all day." Finnick coaxed, not unkindly. "It's not like I haven't seen it all before, either."

"I-I…" My words were stuttered, and I had no idea what to say. "I don't know how," I mumbled lightly, almost hoping he wouldn't hear.

Wordlessly, Finnick picked up a remote off of a table, and turned towards the large flatscreen on the opposite wall. Pressing a few buttons on the remote, the screen responded, changing from the dull black and into a picture.

"Watch." Finnick said sadly before turning away himself.

I did as he said, and watched as an overly thin model walked towards the camera, a knowing grin on her face as she began to strip off her clothes. I was appalled, and the thoughts of me ever having to do this quickly came to mind, making all of this seem more real.

After a few more agonizing minutes of watching _her_ do whatever it was that she did, I felt as though I should boil my eyes until they fell out of my head. _That's_ how disturbing the video had turned out to be. Finnick turned the remote back towards the screen, and it flicked off soundlessly. It didn't really matter. The last few minutes would probably be permanently etched into my brain.

"Your turn." He said softly, his head in his hands. I could see this was hurting him just as much as it was harming me.

I answered him honestly. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do _that_."

"Nonsense," Finnick mumbled. "That's what I thought when I first become introduced to this occupation. Trust me, you'll learn."

I nodded uneasily, before taking a deep breath and pushing aside my qualms. I _had_ to do this. There was no avoiding it, and I might as well get it over with. So, with an exasperated sigh, I hopped off the bed and moved towards the bronze-haired boy ahead of me.

_You don't have a choice,_ I reminded myself. _Your family's lives depend on this. On you._

**AN: There you go. I DIDN'T HAVE SCHOOL FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS! SNOW DAYS! Anyway, so I read four novels and came up with this, for which I apologize. Not a huge fan myself, and it's kind of a filler. Ah, whatever. Also, I did a fic for "**_**The Fault in Our Stars"**_** by John Green, which some of you may enjoy if you have read the book. Thanks for reading, and please review! THANKS!**


	5. Inevitable

_Wordlessly, Finnick picked up a remote off of a table, and turned towards the large flatscreen on the opposite wall. After pressing a few buttons on the remote, the screen responded, changing from the dull black and into a picture. _

"_Watch." Finnick said sadly before turning away himself. _

_I did as he said, and watched as an overly thin model walked towards the camera, a knowing grin on her face as she began to strip off her clothes. I was appalled, and the thoughts of me ever having to do this quickly came to mind, making all of this seem more real. _

_After a few more agonizing minutes of watching her do whatever it was that she did, I felt as though I should boil my eyes until they fell out of my head. That's how disturbing the video had turned out to be. Finnick turned the remote back towards the screen, and it flicked off soundlessly. It didn't really matter. The last few minutes would probably be permanently etched into my brain._

"_Your turn." He said softly, his head in his hands. I could see this was hurting him just as much as it was harming me. _

_I answered him honestly. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do that."_

"_Nonsense," Finnick mumbled. "That's what I thought when I first become introduced to this occupation. Trust me, you'll learn."_

_I nodded uneasily, before taking a deep breath and pushing aside my qualms. I had to do this. There was no avoiding it, and I might as well get it over with. So, with an exasperated sigh, I hopped off the bed and moved towards the bronze-haired boy ahead of me. _

You don't have a choice_, I reminded myself. _Your family's lives depend on this. On you.

I tried my best to do as the model in the video had, occasionally running a nervous hand through my hair to add some extra effect. Finnick looked as though he was about to punch a wall, but watched me regardless as he felt as though it was his duty to do so. In a way, it was, as there was no one else to show me the ropes.

At the end of my show of sorts, I had landed on Finnick's lap, and I didn't know if I should be proud or concerned that there was a newfound hardness poking into my jeans. Blushing, I scrambled off his lap and back to the bed, where I buried my face into the overly plush pillows.

I felt a hand on my hair, running through it smoothly and detangling the knotted strands in the process. The gesture was slightly soothing, but I was still flushed and in no mood to look up from my 'hiding spot'.

"Come on," Finnick's velvety voice coaxed, not far from my ear. "We have to keep going, Girl on Fire, or else you'll be late."

At the moment, I didn't really want to care that I might be late. The majority of me just wanted to curl up in a dark corner and hide from the world, despite the repercussions I would have to face. I moaned into the pillow, screaming in irritation. "I just want to go home!" I cried.

My tears quickly dampened the material of the cushion, and a sob wracked through my body. I began to think that the words I had just said were unheard by the boy beside me, and he was probably unable to make out what they meant.

Pulling my face away from the bed below me, I looked into Finnick's deep green eyes. "I can't do this." I stated.

He shook his head before bringing mine to his chest as he rocked back and forth. _Just the way my father used to._ I quickly shoved the thought aside and pulled far enough away so that my next words could be heard. "I've disgraced my family completely, and I bet they won't ever want to see me again once they see what I've become." I sobbed, allowing my emotional walls to collapse once again while I was in Finnick's arms.

"Shh, that's not true." He said, forcing me to look into his eyes. "They would be incredibly stupid to not be honored by you. You are saving their lives, Katniss. You're doing this for _them_."

I couldn't help but nod, hoping he was right as I hastily wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks. I could still feel that my flesh was dampened with the lines that my sorrows had produced, but the sniffles quickly subsided along with the sobs. Blinking a few times, my eyesight progressively cleared back to its full functionality.

"What should we do now?" I asked nervously, braiding my hair in an attempt to calm myself.

He looked tot he clock on the wall, which I noticed stated the it was almost eleven. Where the time had gone I had no idea.

"You should eat lunch before your prep team get here. Cinna said he would be by at noon to get you dressed." Finnick said, offering me one of his hands as he stood back up.

Taking his offering gratefully, I allowed him to pull me into the hallway and back to the dining hall. Although we had just had breakfast not too long ago, my stomach grumbled, no doubt reminding me of how little I had actually eaten at the time.

Finnick offered to get room service, courtesy of President Snow and his avox's of course, but I declined with the reason that we could find something microwavable. He didn't protest, and we soon began to search the many cabinets and pantries for something we could prepare. _"Where are the instant Mac 'n Cheeses that Capitolites so often complained about?"_ I asked myself after the first few minutes.

As though he had heard my question, Finnick suddenly popped up from behind the island holding a small box labeled 'Instant Mac of the Cheese Variety'. "I found it!" He exclaimed, fetching a pot to make the meal in.

I couldn't help but grin, and rush to his side. Having lived in the poorest district of them all, besides thirteen when they actually existed, I had never had the luxury of eating or preparing instant food from a box, but I was excited to see how it would come out.

Finn read from the label on the side of the box. "Stir pasta into boiling water until tender, strain, mix in seasoning packet, add milk and butter. Stir and serve. Sounds easy enough."

Nodding in agreement, I helped him follow the steps, and within twenty minutes we were sat around the table, with steaming bowls of the cheesy delicacy in front of us. I wasted no time digging in with my spoon, and Finnick quickly followed suit.

I moaned as the mixture poured itself down my throat, my tastebuds swearing that they had died and gone to heaven. I had no idea why the rich people of the Capitol didn't have this more often, and it was probably because it was fairly cheap and easy to make. Regardless, I found myself wanting to bring some of it back to the districts.

Temporarily, I was distracted enough to not think about what I would be doing in a few hours. Finnick was smiling, also shoving the food in his mouth with haste, and I think we were both grateful for the distraction. Wishing to prolong the moment, I slowed the rate at which I shoveled the grub into my face.

However, before long, the bowl in front of me was empty, and all of the terrible thoughts came flooding back as though they had never run away to begin with. I kept seeing the faces of random Capitol men, each of them possible candidates for my first client. Despite my best efforts to push all of these unhelpful thoughts aside, I couldn't help but wonder what scale I would have to use to measure the sheer force of the revulsion I would soon be forced to feel.

A loud knocking sound sounded from the direction of the door to the apartment, and I figured that my prep team was ready for me. Turning to Finnick, I saw that his face was solemn, though his displeasure was displayed within his eyes. He gave me a weak nod towards the door, seemingly unable to voice that it was time for me to get ready.

"I suppose I'll see you in a while?" I asked, my fingers weaving through my hair nervously.

His bronze hair bobbed a little, and he gave me a weak smile. "Yeah, Kat. I'll see you when you get back."

The knockings sounded once more, this time more demanding and persistent. A voice sounded from behind the door, and I was surprised to hear that it belonged to Effie. I wouldn't have expected that she would come to escort me to the prepping area. I wondered how much she knew about all of this as I walked towards the door.

"Katniss, be a darling and open the door please. It would be rude of you to make me drag you out." Her high pitched voice sang, just as overly cheery as always. I guessed that she knew little of what I was being prepped to do.

I opened the painted steel door, revealing Effie with her fist posed as though she were about to knock again. She quickly brought that hand back to her side. "Hello, Darling." She greeted, trying to disguise her scowl when she spotted my attire. "I suppose Cinna has a lot of work to do." **(AN: For this story's purposes, I will have Cinna living and well as though the Capitol never touched him. I personally can't bear the thought of not having him in here, and so, he will he in this.)**

I said nothing, not really in the mood to speak to anyone besides possibly Finnick or Cinna. Knowing that I could talk to the latter, I allowed Effie, colorful violet wig and all, to lead me towards the elevator. Entering, she pressed the button to bring us down to the highest level of the basements, which happened to house all of the districts' preparatory teams, including twelve's.

"So, there's this ball coming up," Effie began, leaping into what I knew would become a long bit of useless chatter. "All of my friends from the Capitol are attending, and I think I found the perfect dress for the occasion. You see, it's lowest layer is white, yet there are many strands of lacing in varying colors including violet-"

I blocked her out, not wishing to hear about what social events she would be going to. I knew it was a bit harsh, but I just wished to see Cinna and get the rest of the evening over with. Finnick had left me sore from earlier, and my bones were aching.

Automatic doors slid open ahead of us, opening into cement coated hallways which were quite boring in comparison to everything else in the Capitol. I couldn't say that I would have minded the change, as my home had made me familiar with such decor, although I would have wished that there were different circumstances for my being brought down here.

Before long, another set of steel doors unlatched, and I was met by the welcoming face of one of the prep team members. He smiled at Effie, exposing his blue tinted teeth, before he latched onto my arm and pulled me away, the door shutting behind us and leaving Effie in the dust.

"How do you do today, Miss Everdeen?" The man asked, his tone kind despite his obvious affiliation with the Capitol.

I didn't recognize the man, although he must have been a recent addition, and he seemed kind enough. "I've seen better days," I answered honestly. "Although, it will be great to see Cinna."

"Ah, yes." The man agreed, his green hair bobbing. "Cinna appears to be quite different than most here. I can why you like him."

He opened the door ahead of us, and with an overly theatrical gesture, the man motioned for me to enter. I recognized where we were, and I could see Cinna just a few feet away, so I thanked him and walked inside.

Subconsciously, my stride lengthened, and I practically leaped into my stylist's arms. He chuckled as I buried my face into his shirt, unbelievably happy to see him. It had been too long, and he always seemed to know what to say and make me wear to help me as much as possible. I supposed he was almost like a father to me here in the Capitol, and for his kindness I was grateful.

"Nice to see you, too, Girl on Fire." He greeted, smiling warmly as he guided me into the wash area.

The rest of the prep team, sporting a few familiar faces, all smiled and waved. I was lead under shower heads as the long and tedious task of making myself 'presentable' began. I was scrubbed from head to toe, waxed, plucked at, and prodded for what seemed to be an endless period of time.

Eventually, Cinna came back into the room after having left to go arrange the final parts of my ensemble, and he brought me over to a large table where my makeup could be applied. I tried not to wiggle or fight it too much, but after several lays of mascara and eyeshadow coated my eyes, I became a little testy.

Cinna smiled at my impatience. "I know, but Snow insisted you looked your best for this _event_."

I wondered how much Cinna knew about the "event" I was about to attend, and though I figured he had been told the same as Effie, I figured he had been smart enough to put all the pieces together.

The sorrowful look he gave me through the mirror only confirmed those thoughts, and he whispered into my ear. "I am so incredibly sorry, Katniss, but there is little I can do for you. I'm sure Finnick can offer you more help than I, although I have seen the transformation he has gone through during the recent years. Let me tell you, it hasn't been a good one, but maybe with you he can find a little more peace."

I nodded, although I could tell he had hidden that part of our conversation from the cameras that were placed throughout the room. Only the lord would know what President Snow would do if he knew that Cinna knew more than he was letting on.

"Let's get you dressed." He said, walking me to a nearby closet where he pulled out something that looked skimpy and multiple sizes too small. I tried to seem a little enthusiastic with his choice, although I knew that he didn't approve of it himself.

He handed me the lacy garments, along with a small white card that was folded in two. "Put those on," Cinna instructed kindly. "The card shows the location and the name of your client. A driver is waiting out back for you, and he will bring you to and from the location."

I nodded nervously, dressing myself and confirming my suspicions of the clothes being both slutty and revealing, along with too small for my body. I had to force the clothes on, and I had no idea how I would get them off—I chose not to think too much about that, though— and I felt incredibly uncomfortable. Left on the floor was a pair of strappy heels, which when wound around my legs lifted me up six inches and made it nearly impossible to walk, even with the brief lesson Finnick had given me.

Taking the card, I decided that I did all I could do for myself, and I wobbled out to the rear of the building. Upon exiting, I spotted a black vehicle with tinted windows, which I quickly realized was my ride. Hobbling, near the car, a driver stepped out, bowed to me, and then helped me into one of the back seats before setting himself back in the driver's seat.

He started the engine, and only looked back at me once or twice through the rearview mirror. He spoke no words to me, and I figured he wasn't supposed to. According to Snow, he was probably below everyone in the Capitol, and that is why he was driving.

The car rolled through the winding busied streets, honking occasionally at drunken Capitolites that stumbled their way into the streets or at other vehicles that stopped too long at a light. We passed many buildings, all extravagant to my definition, and it was probably a twenty minute ride before the car ams to a halt in front of a large condominium complex.

"Here is your destination, miss." The driver said, steeping out to open my door.

I thanked him, and glaced down once more at the card in my hands, which was dampened and crumpled with sweat from my palms. It said that I was needed at the thirteenth floor, and that is where I headed.

As I passed through the lobby, a few Capitol people recognized me and began waving frantically. I kept my head down and crossed my arms over my chest in attempt to hide myself from their needy eyes.

Spotting an elevator at the rear of the room, I crossed to it, and signaled it. Luckily, it arrived quickly, and spared me from the gazes of all the colorful onlookers. Entering it, I pressed the key labeled with a thirteen, which made the doors close and began my ascent.

The ride didn't last long enough in my opinion, and I soon found myself faced with the inevitable. A pink haired man in his late forties spotted me from down the hall, and beckoned me towards him. I gulped, knowing this was it. _I was going to be a prostitute; a slave to the Capitol and its people. _

**AN: Gosh, I'm very sorry, but I COMPLETELY lost the voice of Katniss in this. I was reading Cassandra Clare stuff, and well, I guess this just happened. So, review please, and thanks for reading. **


	6. Thank you for your services: SMUT

**AN: Okay, here is chapter six. Must say, not proud, but I haven't been feeling proud lately so there's nothing really new in that. Also, SMUT warning! (Kat/Finnick) If it's not your thing, then just skip this chapter an I'll provide a summary for it next chapter!**

"Thank you for your _service, _miss Everdeen. I must say, it was worth _every_ penny." The man drawled, his voice echoing in the long expanse of his foyer.

I nodded, trying to hide my grimace, although I didn't feel as though I was very successful. "I had a lovely time as well," I lied, trying my best not to choke on the words.

He nodded, a grotesque grin spreading against his already repulsive face. "I suppose you could always stay a little longer…"

My eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before I finally contained myself. "As good as that sounds, I must get back to my hotel."

The words felt as though they burned in my mouth, but I knew I had to keep up the appearance, or else the man might report me to President Snow, and that would not end well. But then again, almost everything involving the president ended poorly.

I moved to close the door, and chose to ignore the pedophilic grin the man sent my way, choosing simply to dart towards the elevator. Waiting for the doors to close behind me, I felt the urge to crumple to the tiles floor and cry. Grime felt as though it was plastered to every inch of my body, including my most intimate of places. I was coated in a thick layer of sweat, not all of it my own, and I had the feeling that my makeup was running in rivers from my eyes.

A ding signaled my arrival at the first floor, and the large steel doors of the elevator opened, slowly exposing the entirety of the fancy lobby. Heads turned my way, and people were soon staring. I wondered how disheveled I looked, and I figured it was probably enough to draw suspicion. Lowering my head, I took off towards the front entrance, where my driver was hopefully waiting.

It was hard to avoid all of the curious eyes, especially while I had my arms clutched around myself, but I managed to get to the front of the building soon enough. A honk sounded to my right, and I quickly spotted the same driver from earlier, who was standing beside the car, holding the passenger door open.

"Hello, Miss Everdeen." The man greeted, giving me a weak smile as I climbed inside.

I said nothing, and he made his way to the other side of the car. Wordlessly, he handed me a white coat, only speaking when I asked what it was for.

"It's from Mr. Odair," he explained. "He told me to tell you that it helps, and that he will be waiting for you back at the hotel."

Nodding, I slipped the coat on over my shoulders, and felt a sweet surge of relief when I realized that it made me feel a lot more covered. I buttoned it, and began to stare out the tinted windows.

It was about fifteen minute later that we pulled into the driveway of the hotel, and the driver made a move to get out so that he could open my door. I held out a hand. "No thanks, that won't be necessary."

"Are you sure? The president says that I should do this for all customers-"

I shook my head, pulling on the handle of the door before stepping outside. "Have a good rest of your day," I said, knowing that my situation was not because of this man, and he deserved to be treated decently.

"You too, Miss Everdeen." He called back, starting the engine back up.

I didn't need to turn around to know that he had pulled away, and with that, I walked back into the hotel. As the automatic glass doors opened for me, I ducked my head down, not wishing to receive any more stares as I made my way to the elevator at the back of the lobby.

"Come on, come on," I found myself chanting as I hit the fourth floor key, wishing desperately that the doors would just close already and bring me on my way to Finnick.

As I began to ascend, I realized just how much I wanted to see Finnick, and how much I simply wanted to be held. For the first time, I didn't want Peeta to be here and comfort me, and I didn't feel as though anyone except Finnick could understand what I had just gone through. There was no one except him that could provide me with any words of comfort, and there certainly wasn't anyone else who could help me get through all this.

After what had seemed like a long while, although it had probably only been a minute or so; the elevator chimed and released me into the hallway. Stepping forward, I knocked twice on the door and crumpled down onto the floor with tears running down my face. Footsteps sounded beyond the threshold, and the locks clicked as the door swung open.

I heard a quick gasp before a pair of strong arms wrapped around my torso, lifting me up and off the floor as they carried me into the apartment or sorts. My eyes remained closed, and my body swung back and forth with every step Finnick took before he set me down on something soft and plush.

After allowing another sob to wrack through my weakened frame, I settled myself down onto the pillows that were set upon the bed. Forcing my eyes open a little, a few more tears spilled down my cheeks, and I watched as Finnick climbed into the bed beside me, once again wrapping his long arms around my waist and allowing me to cry into the green of his t-shirt.

"I'm so sorry," he said, his voice soft and resigned.

I nodded, trying unsuccessfully to blink away some of my tears. "It's not your fault."

"Want to get some sleep, Katniss?" Finnick asked me, his green eyes boring into mine.

I didn't know if I would be able to sleep after the afternoon's events. How does one sleep after selling themselves to a random person? Surely, if I were to enter the land of dreams, I would be plagued by seemingly endless and unavoidable nightmares, only they wouldn't all be about my games. Now, they would include rich Capitol men and their lavish and cruel wishes that I would be forced to provide them with. The thought of it made me whimper.

"I can't-" I began, honestly thinking it to be true. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to allow myself to sleep again, especially not with a man.

Finnick began to rock me back and forth softly. "You'll have to at some point, Kat, and I'll be right here the whole time. I'll wake you up if you're having a bad dream, I promise."

I looked up at him, searching his face for any sign of dishonestly. "Promise?"

He nodded. "I promise. After all, you would do the same for me, right?"

"Yes," I mumbled, knowing it was true. I don't think there were many people in the world I hated enough to allow them to sleep through their nightmares, and Finnick certainly wasn't one of those people.

With that, he repositioned us on the bed, so that I was laying on his chest, tucked into his arms. He began to hum softly in my ear, causing soft vibrations to spread through my back, and I felt my eyes drift shut. I estimate that there were only a few more minutes that passed before I fell deep into the land of sleep, which quickly became unwelcome.

_Gale stepped towards me, and I thought he was going to welcome me home, or at least do something of the sort. It was, however, when I saw his facial expression: clear anger and disgust, that I realized that he wasn't happy to see me. _

"_Welcome home, Katniss. Or should I say, Capitol whore?" He said evilly, his eyes looking foreign on his face. _

_Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I was confused. "What are you talking about, Gale?"_

"_Oh, I'm sure you can figure it out, you were always a smart girl, Katniss." He said, coming another step closer. "You don't think that the whole district hasn't seen you with that man-whore Finnick Odair? We all see how you've been sleeping around in the Capitol, but I must say, none of us saw it coming."_

"_What do you mean 'us?'" I questioned worriedly, looking around me. _

_It was then that I saw all of my family and my friends step out from the shade of the forest and into the opening of the field. Even Peeta was seen, and he too was wearing a disapproving glade on his face. _

"_Mom, Prim, Peeta?" I asked, my voice sounding weak even to me. "What's going on?"_

_My dad of all people, even though I had thought him to have been dead, responded, his tone demonic and unfamiliar to my ears. "You've disappointed us, Katniss. We thought you knew better than to sell yourself out to the idiots in the Capitol."_

_I felt myself sob and go down on my knees. "I'm doing this for you!" I cried. "Snow, he threatened-"_

_My mother spoke next. "Katniss, you shouldn't lie to try to defend the small remains of what was once your pride. Especially to your family."_

_I shook my head vigorously. "No, you're all confused; misinformed. I did this so that you could live and that the president wouldn't-"_

_Gale came even closer. "Snow warned us of your games, Katniss. He told us you would lie about the crimes you've committed, who you've become. Stop lying to us, Katniss."_

_I looked over to Prim, who had yet to say a word. "Prim, you believe me, right? Tell them that I am telling the truth-"_

"_But you're lying Katniss," she said, shaking her head as though she were disappointed in me. _

_I felt my body shaking and someone knew was calling my name. The sounded as though the voice was coming from the sky, and I looked up to it, only to see that it was grey and that rain was beginning to fall…_

"Katniss," a voice said, trying to rouse me from my reverie.

"I'm not lying!" I shouted, my arms trying to flail although they were pinned down.

"Katniss," the voice continued, still soothing. "Wake up, open your eyes. You're fine."

Following his instructions, I did open my eyes, and saw that I was back in the apartment in the Capitol, with Finnick hovering over me in the bed. His eyes were laced with worry, and some of his bronze hair had flopped over his sea-green eyes.

"My family hates me," I sobbed, letting the feeling of weakness wash over me once more.

Finn pressed a finger to my lips, cocking his head to the side a little. "That's not true, Kat. They would be proud to know that you are doing all of this for them. Don't forget that."

"But-" I stuttered, images of the dream coming back to me. "I just saw them in my dream, and they were all so mad, even Peeta and Prim and my father…"

I let Finnick pull my head into his chest as he pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. "Shh, it's okay now. It was only a dream, and I can assure you, that your family and your truest friends will never hate you like that. If they knew the truth, they wouldn't be assumed of you, Katniss."

Another sob rolled through my body and I sniffled. "Does it ever get easier?" I asked him.

He sighed, looking down and away from me. "Prostitution? Not really, although the first time is always the worst. I suppose you become numbed after a while and more skilled."

I scoffed. "Who would want to be more skilled in this line of work?"

A smile made its way to Finnick's face for the first time since I had gotten back. "That sex we had earlier wouldn't have been nearly as good on your end if I wasn't so familiar with the trade."

I found his grin contagious, and a nearly identical one made its way to my own face at Finn's seductiveness. "Is that so?" I teased.

"Mhm. Do you want me to show you?" He asked, his eyes almost sparkling with what appeared to be hope.

I kissed him in answer, pulling his body on top of mine. His hands quickly went beside my head to support himself, and my lips opened for his. Soon, all my troubles were forgotten, and it was just me, Finnick, and the odd coil of heat that was winding through my stomach.

My hands fumbled along the buttons of his shirt, and I blushed when a few of them broke off in my haste, rolling onto the floor. When I was about halfway down, Finnick broke our kiss to kneel above me on the bed, and simply pulled the material up and over his head.

"You were taking too long," he explained, moving back down to kiss along my jaw. "And, now you're wearing too many clothes."

"Am I?" I asked, not sure where my sudden confidence was coming from, but I was happy that it was there.

Finnick nodded, reconnecting his lips to mine in yet another fiery kiss. He rested on his elbows, his body fit into the space between my legs. I sighed when his fingertips found the bare skin of my waist, where he proceeded to trace meaningless shapes.

My hands ran along the curve of his neck, before simply tangling into his bronze curls. His lips moved along the column of my neck, kissing and sucking behind my ears and down to my collar, all while he made sure to hit the few sweet spots I had.

Finnick's hands moved back up along my ribcage, drawing my tank top with them. His fingers just ghosted the sides of my breasts as he pulled the material up and over my head, and a shiver made its way down the column of my spine. _Maybe, _I thought to myself, _Not all sex is bad…_

It was when he started sucking on an earlobe that I wrapped my legs around his waist; pulling him even closer to my overheated form. A low groan escaped his lips at the contact with our hips, and a breath of cool air moved along my dampened flesh as a result.

My fingers moved down to his belt, deftly unbuckling it and drawing it through the loops before unceremoniously tossing it to the floor of the bedroom. Next, I undid the button on his jeans and pulled down the zipper. But, before I could move the denim down his legs, his hands grasped mine and pinned them above my head.

HIs mouth attacked mine with surprising vigor, which I soon found myself returning. Finnick moved his hands to my shoulders, where they toyed with the straps of my bra before they pulled them down a little. My back arched up into him, and he used the opportunity to reach behind me and deftly undo the clasp at my back, which allowed the lace to fall from my chest and get lost into the mess of sheets below us.

The cool air quickly found my now naked torso, and I found myself whimpering from the cold before Finnick's warm body lowered itself further onto mine and his lips moved to the shell of my ear.

"You're so beautiful, Kat." He drawled, his teeth nicking my ear before they made their way to my freshly exposed breasts.

His mouth—warm and damp in comparison to my skin—closed against a single pebbled nipple, where he quickly began to swirl his tongue around and nip at, drawing forth a long series of pleasured sounds from deep within my throat.

Finnick's other hand found my other small mound of flesh, and began to squeeze and roll it gently in its fingers. Before long, the heat spread through my stomach, and I felt oddly damp in my lower region.

As his lips traced back up my neck, I moved my hands down the solid planes of his chest and back down to his jeans—which were now low enough on his hips for me to see the strain in his underwear. I pulled on a few of the belt loops regardless, and eased the material down his long legs.

When Finnick understood what was going on, he kicked his pants off the rest of the way, and a dull thump was heard as they hit the floor a few feet away; lost with the seemingly large pile of already discarded clothing.

My own skirt came next, which Finnick carefully dragged down my legs with little trouble. I helped by lifting my hips, and soon we were both wearing nothing but think layers of cloth attached to our lower regions.

His hardness dragged along my covered entrance, eliciting a moan from both of us. I couldn't help but grin against him a little, my cheeks flushed with the limited pleasure. I had the nagging feeling that we just weren't close enough yet, and I wished desperately that the rest of our clothes would soon be removed.

"Mhm, I think I need you, Finnick." I groaned, my hands impatiently grabbing at his boxers.

"As I, you." He agreed, pulling my underwear down my legs before tossing it to the floor.

I felt his lips slam against mine once more as he wiggled out of his boxers; letting them fall into the tangle of sheets. Finnick swept his tongue through my mouth and seemed to be attempting to taste ever crevice before we broke away for air.

"You ready?" He asked, his member brushing against my entrance; eliciting a whimper.

No words came to the fore of my mind, so I simply nodded as he slid in to me, his lips moving to the soft spot behind one of my ears as he began to move rhythmically through my body. His thrusts started out slow, measured; but soon enough he picked up the pace and I found myself quickly racing towards that oblivion.

I was on the precipice of it, about to teeter off when he reached between us and rolled my damp folds between his fingers, resulting in me finally falling off the edge. Finnick soon followed, and his thrusts progressively slowed until we both fell spent and into a tangled heap of heated limbs.

"Thank you," I said, my breaths soft but fast.

"A little good to even out the bad, right?" He joked, resting his head on my chest as he too tried to catch his breath.

"I suppose," I agreed, although I knew that nothing could really make up for the pain I had been forced to go through this afternoon, or the pain I was soon to feel.

**AN: So, is it just me or is this story getting worse with every chapter? Gah, sorry for the filler of sorts, hopefully next chapter will be a little bit better, though I seem to be suffering from a severe case of writer's block. Anyway, reviews are always welcome, and thank you to anyone who had bothered to follow or favorite this. It means a lot. :D**

**Also, do you guys think I am making Katniss think too much about her prostitution and how much pain she goes through? If so, just tell me and I'll take it down a notch or two. **


	7. Farmiliar Faces

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I am still suffering for writer's block. I really wish I could have posted sooner, but as it is, this chapter had no inspiration. To put it lightly… It may suck. Anyway, as all of you may have remembered, last chapter was a SMUTTY one, so below I have made a short summary for what happened in it. Enjoy, and thank you to anyone who has bothered to follow/favorite this. **

_**Disclaimer: I still do not—nor will I ever—own the Hunger Games. All rights go to Suzanne Collins and her people.**_

_Summary (Of Last Chapter):__ Katniss survives her first visit with a high-paying client, yet she it quite damaged and emotionally scarred. She makes her way back to the apartment, to Finnick, and he tells her to get some rest. Not too long later, she falls asleep, but she has some of the worst nightmares she has ever had; most of which featuring Gale and Peeta, and them not trusting her and being upset with her being a prostitute, even though it isn't her fault. Finnick wakes her up afterwords, and tried his best to comfort her. Eventually, she asks him if this life gets any easier, and he tells her that in a way it does. They end up having sexy, citrusy goodness. _

~On to the Story~

I woke gently, with a smile plastered on my face. Opening my eyes, I was met with both the startling brightness of the untainted sunshine spilling through the window, along with the memories of the previous evening that I had spent with Finnick.

"Morning," a husky voice whispered into my ear, spreading a huff of hot air down the nape of my neck.

Strong arms adjusted their tight grip on my waist, and I sighed with contentment. "Good morning, Finnick."

Despite everything wrong with my life, this moment felt perfectly right. Not even the absurd art selections of the Capitol hanging upon the walls couldn't bring my spirits down. The special window of sorts was simply being a window at the moment, instead of its usual projecting screen that Finnick would have changed to show the ocean back in district four. The bed, with all of its lavish softness, was oddly comforting beneath me, and I wished to stay here forever, wrapped in Finnick Odair's embrace.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked drowsily, nuzzling his head into my neck. "Any nightmares?"

Shaking my head, I answered honestly. "There were no and dreams," I said. "I slept like a log, and saw nothing but peaceful blackness. It was perfect."

He chuckled, sending vibrations through my back and ribcage. "I told you I would fend off those bad dreams for you."

A small laugh passed through my lips at that. "I'm sure that was the case, Finn."

"Of course it was," he defended, feigning indignance. "How could you even begin to think otherwise?"

My lips parted to answer, but a dinging sound echoed through the apartment—stopping me from continuing our banter. I was unable to contain a groan at the thought of having to get up and answer the door, and Finnick's similar noise of protest told me he felt the same way.

"Who could it be this early in the morning‽" I asked, burying my head in his shoulder.

I had to strain to hear Finnick say, "It's probably the client list of the day. They send us a card with the details, and they ring the doorbell for its delivery."

Gulping, I moved to toss the comforter off my body. It fell to the floor, and I braced for the cold that should have come, but it didn't. Then, I remembered that the Capitol kept their places warm and without drafts. There would be no cool breeze unless I wished there to be, and I would have never had that control over the house back in twelve that I had resided in for most of my life.

The major part of me desperately wished to go back to that old life of mine; where I was hunting game to provide for my mother and sister, and where I would sneak past the district's fence with Gale—

_Gale_. It had been so long since I had seen him last, and I couldn't help but miss him terribly, even though I knew that I couldn't just go to visit him. I hadn't seen him since my games, and I wondered if he missed me.

_Of course he misses you_, I told myself. _You were best friends, and had done everything with him before the Hunger Games had changed your life. In fact, he's probably still thinking about you as he provides for Prim and Mom._

Warm hands were placed on my shoulders. "Are you okay, Katniss?" Finnick asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I nodded, shaking myself out of that reverie. "Yeah, I just got lost in thought, I guess."

He left the bedroom then, coming back a minute later with a small white card in his hand. A nervous look was etched clearly onto his face, and he twirled the thick, folded paper around his fingers. He stopped before me and asked, "Do you want me to open it, or you?"

"You," I answered immediately, not thinking that I would be able to read the client list for a while now. It just seemed too painful—too real.

Finnick nodded, and opened the card in his hand. His eyes quickly scanned the text on it, and he shook his head in dismay. "President Snow wants to see you," he said softly. "And, I have a few clients for today, so you'll have to go to see him without me. I'm so sorry—"

"It's not your fault, Finn." I reminded him, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I'm sure I'll be fine, right? I haven't done anything wrong—well, besides the whole prostitution thing…"

His arms wrapped themselves around me as he pulled me into his embrace. The card he had been holding fell slowly to the floor, and my head rested in the crook of his neck. "Katniss, remember that none of this is your fault, either, okay? You're doing this to save your family, not because you want to sell yourself."

Nodding, I pried myself away. "Well, I should probably get ready, then. When do I have to get there?"

Bending over, he passed me the card. "Two-thirty, but I don't think you'll have to wear the usual get-up."

"I wish," I said. "We're still in the Capitol, and as long as that's true, we'll be wearing their hideous clothes."

Finnick shrugged. "At least you won't have to wear a thong or anything. Your undergarments can finally be remotely modest."

Despite myself, I blushed at his use of the word _undergarment_. Being so openly intimate with someone, especially a boy as attractive as Finnick, was a first for me, and I wasn't sure I would ever grow accustomed to it. I suppose, with my being a sex-slave from now on, I would have to get used to that kind of talk, but the innocent girl from twelve that I used to be kept exposing herself.

"I'm going to take a shower," I stated slowly, grabbing my robe off one of the bedposts.

"Do you want me to join you?"

Shaking my head, I practically ran to the bathroom, not giving him enough time to see the blush creeping onto my cheeks. It was warm in there, unlike the small powder room we had back in my home at twelve. Everything about this space was lavish, from its size to the fixtures to the buttons lining the walls of the shower.

A sigh escaped my lips—a sign of my irritation—and I lazily flicked the switch for the shower. The water poured from the head instantly, and I stripped to enter the steamy expanse of luxury.

~_Line Break~_

When I finally exited the bath and came back into the bedroom, Finnick was nowhere to be seen. The clothes that we had hastily discarded on the floor last night were now neatly piled onto a dresser, and ready to be sent down to be laundered.

Adjusting the towel that was wrapped around my still-damp torso, I walked to my closet, ad found a note attached to the door. Taking it into my hands, I read it aloud.

"_I'm sorry I had to go, but I have my first client. I made you breakfast, which you should really eat, and picked out an outfit for you. Good luck with Snow. I'll see you when I get back."_

Shivers rolled down my spine at the very thought of Snow, but I opened the closet anyway. On the first hanger was a modest, sky-blue dress with white lace accents. Below it was a pair of flats.

I had no idea where Finnick had found the dress—it certainly wasn't from the Capitol—and noted to thank him when I saw him later. Pulling it off the hanger, I realized that it was very soft, and unlike the scratchy little slutted-up dresses I had been forces to wear over the past few weeks. In fact, after I had it on, I felt more normal than I ever had in the time after my Games.

And, by the time my hair was brushed and braided in the way I always used to have it, it was almost time for me to leave. So, I grabbed one of the muffins Finnick had made earlier, and walked out of the door; barely catching a side glimpse of my reflection in a mirror hung on the entryway.

I stopped to look at myself for a moment, and was surprised by what I saw. My time spent in the Capitol had in fact changed me. There was a newfound fullness to my face, and my hips curved outward in a way they never used to. My eyes looked dull, and there was some makeup on my face due to the fact that Snow wouldn't permit me to leave the apartment without it on. But, there were pieces of myself that the Capitol hadn't yet taken away, and I was bound to keep those things.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my reverie. "Katniss," called my driver, "we have to leave soon, or else you'll be late for your appointment with the President."

I grabbed a mint off the side table before heading to the door, knowing that there was a distinct possibility of me barfing in my mouth at the very site of Snow. He seemed to have that distinctive quality about him; where he could make your bones chilled just from the mere sight or decent of his roses.

~_Whelp, Here's to Line Break #2 in a Short Period of Time…~_

The ride to the Presidential mansion was short and quiet, and I found myself wishing that we would get in an accident just to avoid seeing Snow for a while. However, I arrived in one piece, and quickly found myself being ushered inside by a pair of Avoxes.

One of them stripped me of my coat, and disappeared temporarily—presumably hanging it in one of the many closets located within the mansion. The other continued walking beside me with airy, ghosting strides that resulted in a faint whooshing sound being made from its robe. I had to hurry to catch up with the Avox, and at our pace, we were reaching the dreading door at the end of the hallway in no time.

When we finally reached the large oak doorway, the Avox knocked twice on it and pressed a lever that caused the door to open a crack. She bowed down to me, motioning me inside before she scampered off.

With a forced swallow, I entered the room, and was immediately met with the nauseating scent of roses and coppery blood. Sat upon a red velvet desk chair was President Snow, who turned around at the sound of my arrival.

A sickening smirk spread across his lips, and I reached into my pocket for the mint.

"Ms. Everdeen, how nice that you could make it."

_You didn't exactly give me the option,_ I thought bitterly; barely holding back the words as I forced a smile.

"I'm happy to be here," I lied.

He only shook his head, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. "You're a terrible liar, Ms. Everdeen, and that is why I've called you down here today. Your first client complained a little about you not being very 'into' your performance."

My fists clenched at my sides, and I had to bite back a train of insults. "I'm sorry—"

"Stop apologizing, and just change it. I'll give you three days before your next appointment, and I expect your to spend that time learning from Mr. Odair. If you're not better by then, there will be consequences, and trust me when I say that you don't want to know what those are."

I nodded weakly. "Yes, I'll do that."

"Good."

"Am I dismissed?" I asked nervously, not sure if that was a good question.

He turned to face the wall in his desk chair, and I could only see the back of his white-haired head. "I suppose," he said. "Send in an Avox or two on your way out."

I had to refrain from sprinting out of there, and I almost ran into the same Avox on my way out. "Snow wants you," I told it as I exited, feeling bad for its having to serve the President for the rest of its life.

Nodding, it strode away, and I was left to try to find my coat. I spotted a closet at the end of the hallway, but after searching through it, I didn't see the white trench I had come in with this morning.

"Looking for this?" A voice called from behind me, urging me to turn around.

Ahead of me stood a boy, who had my coat in one of his arms. The blonde hairs on his head reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place who. His eye were hazel, and looked mischievous. Something about him made my throat dry.

"The guest coat closet is down the hall," he explained pointing.

"Thanks," I said, taking my coat and drawing it around my shoulders. "Should I know you?"

He smiled a little at that. "Nah," he said. "But you killed my brother in the Hunger Games."

Then, all the connections finally made sense. His facial features were sharp, and his shoulders were broad, just like Cato's. Even the way he smiled—which looked more like a sneer—was similar to how Cato did.

"Cato—"

"I'm not sad that you killed him," he said, the smirk gone from his face, leaving behind a look of seriousness. "My brother was a blood-lusting jerk who was too willing to kill anything separating him from fame."

I swallowed harshly, not knowing what I could say. "He still didn't deserve to die—"

"Yes he did. But even if he didn't, I wouldn't blame you for killing him. These stupid games are all to blame on the stupid bastard of a President we have."

I nodded tersely, my eyes still wide with discomfort.

He smacked himself on the forehead, as if suddenly remembering something. "Sorry, my name's Will."

Tentatively, I reached for his hand, and shook it. "Katniss," I said.

His hands were oddly soft, like a child's. Much different than his bother's…

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Katniss." Will said, before winking and walking off down the hallway.

_That was odd,_ I thought to myself. _I didn't know Cato had a brother, let alone a decent acting one…_

"Katniss," my driver called, coming out of the front doorway. "Are you ready to head back to your apartment?"

Snapping out of my reverie, I nodded. "Yes. That would be great, thank you."

~Yet Another Line Break (For Which I Apologize)~

The ride back to the apartment was just as uneventful as the ride to the mansion, and for that I was grateful. For the oddest of reasons, I was already exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to simply change into something more comfortable and curl up in bed.

After heading up to the apartment, I placed my hand on the touchpad by the door, and entered it quietly. A quick look around told me Finnick wasn't back yet, and I had forgotten to ask him when his last appointment was over. I cringed at the thought of him sleeping with other women, especially Capitolites, but I knew he had little choice. It was either that or he looses the rest of his family.

_You're in the same boat as him,_ I reminded myself, knowing that my life had changed for the worse, just like his. In fact, we were really the only people that understood what the other was going through.

I stripped as I made my way up the stairs, not caring about the trail I was leaving behind. And, by the time I reached the bedroom I had been sharing with Finnick, I was in my underwear. Walking over to the closet, I grabbed one of his solid-colored tees, and threw it on. A yawn came from my mouth, and in no time I was on the bed with closed eyes, and was falling into a dreamless darkness.

_**A/N: Okay, I hope everyone liked that, but I completely understand if you didn't. Also, please tell me if you want me to continue developing Will into the story, or if you don't care and want me to just forget about him. Sorry for the delay, once again, and thanks for reading! Review with opinions! :)**_

_**Also, do you guys think I should come up with an update day, where I would only update my stories on that particular day (Ie: Thursday)? I think I might give it a try, as I've gathered a couple followers, and I want to make it easier for them. **_


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